A Vice my heart would give my tongue the lye If of perfection boast I should herein My guilt disclose thought I I had no Sin My selfe I should not know Oh bitter strife VVhose only Issue is the hate of life Yet judge not by events in generall The good and bad without distinction fall For he th'Appeale of innocence derides And with his Sword the controverse decides He gives the Earth to those that tyrannize And spreads a vaile before the Judges Eyes Or else what were his power Oh you who see My miseries this truth behold in mee My dayes runne like a Post and leave behinde No tract of joy as ships before the winde They through this humaine Ocean sayle away And fly like Eagles which pursue their prey If I determine to remove my care Forget my griefe and comfort my Despaire The feare that he would never purge mee mocks M'imbarqued Hopes and drives them on the Rocks For if he hold me guilty if I soile My selfe with Sin I then but vainely toyle Though I should wash my selfe in melting Snow Vntill my hands were whiter he would throw Me downe to Earth and ah so plunge in mire That I should loath to touch my owne attire For he is not as I a man with whom I might contend and to a Tryall come I in my cause shall find no Aduocate Nor Vmpire to compose our sad debate Oh should he from my shoulders take his Rod Free from the awe and terror of a God Then would I argue in my owne defence And boldly justifie my Innocence Chap. 10 Oh I am sick of life nor will controule My Passion but in bitternesse of Soule Thus teare the Aire what should thy wrath incense To punish him who knowes not his offence Ah! do'st thou in oppression take delight Wilt thou thy Servant fold in shades of Night And smile on wicked Counsels do'st thou see With Eyes of Flesh is Truth conceal'd from thee VVhat are thy Dayes as fraile as ours or can Thy yeares determine like the age of Man That thou should'st my Delinquencies exquire And with Variety of tortures tire Cannot my knowne Integritie remove Thy cruell Plagues wilt thou remorselesse prove Ah! wilt thou thy owne workemanship confound Shall the same hand that did create now wound Remember I am built of clay and must Resolve to my originary Dust Thou powr'dst me out like milke into the wombe Like curds conden'st and in that secret roome My Limbs proportion'd cloth'd with flesh and skin With bones and sinewes fortifi'd within The Life thou gav'st thou hast with plentie fed Long cherisht and through Dangers safely led All this is buryed in thy breast and yet I know thou can'st not thy old Love forget Thou if I erre observ'st me with sterne eyes Nor will the plea of Ignorance suffice Woe unto me should sinne my Soule infect Who dare not now though innocent erect My downe-cast lookes which clouds of shame infold Great God my growing Miseries behold Thou like a Lion huntest me wounds on wounds Thy hands inflict thy fury knowes no bounds Against me all thy Plagues embattaild are Subdu'd with changes of internall warre Why didst thou draw me from my Mothers wombe Would I from thence had slipt into my Tombe Before the Eye of man my face had seene And mixt with dust as I had never beene Oh since I have so short a time to live A little ease to these my torments give Before I goe where all in silence mourne From whose darke shores no travellers returne A Land where Death confusion endlesse Night And Horror reigne where Darkenesse is their Light Chap. 11 Thus Zophar with acerbity reply'd Think'st thon by talking to be justifi'd Or shall these wild distempers of thy mind This tempest of thy tongue thus rave and find No opposition shall we guilty be Of thy untruths in not reproving thee Nor die thy cheekes in Blushes for the scorne Thou throw'st on us till now with patience borne Hast thou not said to God my heart 's upright My Doctrine pure I blamelesse in thy sight O that he would be pleased to reply And take the vaile from thy Hypocrisie Should he reveale his wisedome to thine eyes How would'st thou thy integritie despise Acknowledging these punnishments farre lesse Then thy offences and his grace professe Canst thou into thy Makers Councels dive Or to the knowledge of his thoughts arrive Higher then highest Heavens more deepe then Hell Longer then Earth more broad then Seas that swell Above their shores can man his foot-steps trace Would he the course of Nature change the face Of things invert and all dissolve againe To their old Chaos who could God restraine He knowes that man is vaine his eyes detect Their secret crimes and shall not he correct Thus Fooles grow wise subdue their stubborne soules Though in their pride more rude then Asses foles If thou affect thy cure reforme thy wayes Let penitence resolve to teares and raise Thy hands to heaven what Rapine got restore Nor let insidious Vice approach thy Doore Then thou thy lookes shalt raise from blemish cleare Walke in full strength and no disaster feare As winter Torrents tumbling from on high Waste with their speed and leave their channels dry So shall the sense of former sorrowes runne From thy Remembrance As the mounted Sunne Breakes through the Clouds and throwes his golden Raies About the world shall thy increasing Dayes Succeed in Glory Thou thy selfe shalt rise Like that bright Starre which last forsakes the skies For ever by thy stedfast hopes secur'd Intrenched and with walles of Brasse immur'd Confirm'd against all Stormes Soft sleepe shall close Thy guarded eyes with undisturb'd repose The Great shall honour the distressed shall Thy grace implore belov'd or fear'd of all The sight of thee shall strike the envious blind The wicked with anxietie of Mind Shall pine away in sighes consume their breath Prevented in their hopes by sudden Death Chap. 12 To whom thus Iob You are the only wise And when you die the fame of wisedome dies Though Passion be a foole though you professe Your selves such Sages yet know I no lesse Nor am to you inferior What blind Soule Could this not see 'T is easie to controule My sad example shewes how those whose cries Even God regards their scoffing Friends despise He that is wretched though in life a Saint Becomes a scorne This is an old Complaint Those who grow old in fluency and ease VVhen they from shore behold him tost on Seas And neere his ruine his condition slight Pric'd as a Lamp consum'd with his owne light The Tents of Robbers flourish Earths increase Foments their ryot who disturb her peace VVho God contemne in sinne securely raigne And prosperous Crimes the meed of Vertue gaine Aske thou the Citizens of pathlesse woods VVhat cut the ayre with wings what swim in floods Brute beasts and fostering Earth in generall They will confesse the power of God in all Who knowes not that
whom his VVisdome did create Through his large Empire celebrate His glorious Name with sweet accord Joyne thou my Soule to praise the Lord. PSALME CIV As the 72. MY ravisht Soule great God thy praises sings VVhom Glory circles with her radiant VVings And Majesty invests then Day more bright Cloth'd with the beames of new-created Light He like an all-infolding Canopy Fram'd the vast concave of the spangled Skie And in the Aire-embraced Waters set The Basis of his hanging Cabinet VVho on the Clouds as on a Chariot rides And with a reine the flying Tempest guides Bright Angels his attendant Spirits made By flame-dispersing Seraphims obey'd The ever-fixed Earth cloth'd with the Floud In whose calme bosome unseene Mountains stood At his rebuke it shrunke with sudden dread And from his voices Thunder swiftly fled Then Hils their late concealed Heads extend And sinking Valleies to their Feet descend The trembling VVaters through their bottomes winde Till they the Sea their Nurse and Mother finde He to the swelling Waves prescribes a bound Lest Earth againe should by their rage be drown'd Springs through the pleasant Medows powre their drils VVhich Snake-like glide betweene the bordring Hils Till they to Rivers grow where beasts of prey Their thirst asswage and such as man obey Part. 2 In neighbouring Groves the Ayr 's Musicians sing And with their Musicke entertaine the Spring He from coelestiall Casements showres distills And with renew'd increase his Creatures fills He makes the food-full Earth her fruit produce For Cattell grasse and Herbs for humane use The spreading Vine long purple clusters bears VVhose juyce the hearts of pensive Mortals chears Fat Olives smooth our browes with suppling Oyle And strengthning Corne rewards the Reapers toile His Fruit affording trees with sap abound The Lord hath Lebanon with Cedars crown'd They to the warbling Birds a shelter yield And wandring Storks in lofty Fir-trees build Wild Goats to craggy Cliffs for refuge flie And Conies in the Rocks darke entrails lie He guides the changing Moones alternate face The Suns diurnall and his annuall Race T' was he that made the all-informing Light And with darke shadowes cloths the aged Night Then Beasts of prey breake from their Mountaine Caves The roring Lion pinch't with hunger craves Food from his hand But when Heavens greatest Fire Obscures the Stars they to their dens retire Men with the Morning rise to labour prest Toile all the Day at Night returne to rest Part. 3 Great God! how manifold how infinite Are all thy works with what a cleere fore-sight Didst thou create and multiply their birth Thy riches fill the far extended Earth The ample Sea in whose unfathom'd Deep Innumerable sorts of Creatures creep Bright-scaled Fishes in her Entrailes glide And high-built Ships upon her bosome ride About whose sides the crooked Dolphin playes And monstrous Whales huge spouts of water raise All on the Land or in the Ocean bred On Thee depend in their due season fed They gather what thy bounteous Hands bestow And in the Summer of thy Favour grow When thou contract'st thy clouded Brows they mourn And dying to their former dust return Againe created by thy quickning breath To resupply the Massacres of Death No Tract of Time his Glory shall destroy He in th' Obedience of his Works shall joy But when their wild revolts his Wrath provoke Earth trembles and the aery Mountains smoke I all my life will my Creator praise And to his Service dedicate my Daies May he accept the Musicke of my Voice While I with sacred Harmony rejoyce Hence you profane who in your Sins delight God shall extirp and cast you from his Sight My Soule blesse thou this all-commanding King You Saints and Angels Hallelu-jah sing PSALME CV As the 72. TO God O pay your vowes invoke his Name And to the VVorld his noble Acts proclaime O sing his praises in immortall Verse And his stupendious Miracles rehearse You Saints rejoyce and glory in his Grace His power adore for ever seeke his Face Old Abrahams Seed you Sons of the Elect You Israelites O you who God affect Report the Wonders by his finger wrought VVhen in your cause th' inferiour creatures fought Jehovah rules the many-peopled Earth His judgement knowne to all of humane birth He never will forget his Promise past His Covenants inviolable last VVhich he to faithfull Abraham made before And after to the holy Isaac swore To Jacob sign'd confirm'd to Israel That their large Off-spring should in Canaan dwell VVhen they but few in number wandered In unknowne Regions and their Cattell fed He did their lives from violence protect And for their sakes even mighty Princes checkt Touch not said he my Anointed feare to wrong Those sacred Prophets who to Me belong Part. 2 VVhen raging Famine in these Climats reign'd He broke the Staffe of Bread which life sustain'd But Joseph sent before them sold to save His Brethren by whose envy made a slave There for th'Accusers guilt in prison throwne With galling fetters bound for crimes unknowne Tri'd with affliction at the time decreed At once by Pharaoh both advanc'd and freed He of his houshold gave him the command And made him Ruler over all his Land His Princes to his government Subjects The prudent Youth grave Senators directs Then aged Jacob into Egypt came And sojourn'd in the fruitfull Fields of Ham. God in that Land his people multipli'd Their Foes which now their greater strength envi'd Hate what they feare he alienates their hearts To seeke their ruine by deceitfull Arts. Then Moses on a sacred Embassie Part. 3 And Aaron sent th'Elect of the most High There wrought his dreadfull Wonders from the I le Of Sea-girt Pharo's to the Fals of Nile He bade Cimmerian darknesse dim the Day Th' assembled Vapours his commands obey He their seven chanel'd VVaters turn'd to Bloud The Fishes strangled intheir native Floud Frogs from the slimy Earth in Millions spring And skip about the Chambers of the King All parts with swarms of noisome Flies abound And Lice like quickned dust crawle on the ground He storms of killing Haile for Showers bestowes And from the breaking clouds his lightning throws Blasts all the Vines and Fig-trees in the Land The VVoods with Tempests torne or naked stand Innumerable Locusts these succeed And Caterpillars on their leavings feed They bite the tender Herbe the bud and flower And all the virdure of the Earth devoure Their Strength the First-borne slew which fill'd their eares VVith Female screeches and their hearts with feares Part. 4 Then He the Hebrews out of Goshen brought In able health with Gold and Silver fraught Th' inhabitants whose teares augment the Nile At their departure Joy and Feare exile A Cloud to shade them from the Sun was spread And Nightly by a flaming Pillar led At their request he sends them showres of Quailes And Bread from Heaven like Coriander hailes Cleaves the hard Rocks from whence a Fountaine flowes And unknowne Rivers to those
no vent Ready to breake the swelling Continent Words therefore must my toiling thoughts relieve And to restrained Truth inlargement give No personall Respects my thoughts shall move Nor will I Man with flattering titles smooth Should I so prostitute my servile Breath My Maker soone would cut me of by Death Chap. 33 And now O Iob what I shall utter heare As I my lips so open thou thine eare I sacred knowledge clearely will impart Drawne from the fountaine of a single heart God made us both with breath of Life inspir'd In shrouds of fraile Mortalitie attyr'd Then since we shall with equall Armes contend Arise and if thou canst thy cause defend Behold according to thy wish I stand In steed of God though made of slime and Sand. I will not with sterne Menaces affright Nor shall my hand on thee like Thunder-light For I with griefe O Iob have heard thee vaunt And breake into this passionate Complaint My Heart is uncorrupt my Innocence Without a Staine my life free from offence Yet he occasion seekes to overthrow And trample on me as his mortall foe Who least I should escape in fetters binds Observes my steps and makes the faults he finds How rash is thy bold charge God is compleat In his owne Essence much than man more great And yet dar'st thou contend his patience grieve Will He a reason for his Actions give Oft he to Mortals speaks yet will not they The Counsell of his Oracles obey Sometimes by Dreames in silence of the Night Sometimes by Visions he informes their sight When sleepe his Poppy on their Temples sheds Or they lye musing on their restlesse beds The cause of their afflictions then reveales And on their Hearts his reprehension seales That he may man prevent his pride repell Save from the sword and greedy jawes of Hell For this diseased on his bed he groanes While unrelenting Torments gnaw his bones The sight of Food his emptie stomack fils And Dainties to his taste are lothsome Pils By wasting Hecticks of his flesh bereft Bones late unseene alone apparant left His Soule sits mourning at the gates of Death While anguish strives to suffocate his breath But if a Prophet or Interpreter One of a thousand with the sicke conferre Before his eyes his ugly sinnes detect And to a better life his Steps direct Then Mercy thus will cry Release the bound From Sinne and Hell I have a Ransome found Then shall his bones the flesh of Babes indue His youth and beauty like the spring renew He shall his God implore his glorious Face VVith joy behold and flourish in his grace For God will his Integritie regard His vertue with a Bounteous hand reward His Eyes the secrets of all hearts survay VVhen the contrite and bleeding Soule shall say How have I Justice forc'd the poore undone Sinne heapt on Sinne to my owne Ruine run Then God shall raise him from the shades of Night And he shall live to see th' etheriall Light Thus oft to man that Power which wounds and heales The way to Joy by Misery Reveales That he may longer with the living dwell Snatcht from th'extended jawes of Death and Hell O thou of men most wretched heare me speake Nor in thy frantick passion silence breake If thou thy selfe canst cleare at large reply For I thy life would gladly justifie If not my words with wisedome shall informe Thy erring Soule and mitigate this Storme Chap. 34 Then Elihu his speech directs to those Who in a Ring the Disputants inclose You that are wise said he my Doctrine heare You who have knowing Soules afford an Eare. For sence is by that Organ understood Even as the taste distinguisheth of Food By Equitie let us our Judgements guide And this long controverted Cause decide Iob cries I guiltlesse fall to God appeale Yet will not he the clouded truth reveale Shall I with lyes betray my Innocence My wound is mortall ô for what offence VVho of himselfe but he so vainely thinks Who contumacy like cold water drinks He is in shackles by the wicked led And walkes the way which his Associates tread VVhat bootes it man sayes he to take delight In God! and live as alwayes in his sight O heare me you who high in knowledge sit Is it with God that he should Sinne commit No each according to his Merit shall Receive his hire to Justice stand or fall O can Compassion in Destruction joy Or will the righteous Judge the just destroy Shall he the world by mans direction sway VVhom Heaven and Powers Angelicall obey In his disposure is the Orbe of Earth The Throne of Kings and all of humane Birth O if he should the heart of man survay Reduce and take the breath he gave away All Living in a moment would expire And swiftly to there former dust retire Then Iob if thou hast reason if a mind Not partiall let my words acceptance find Shall he who Justice hates rule by his lust Or will 't thou him condemne who is most just Shall Subjects taxe their Kings their Princes blame And with detractions poys'nous breath defame Much lesse upbraid his just Dominion To whom both Lords and vassals are all one Who Rich and Poore alike regards since they By him were form'd from the same lump of clay Pale Death shall in an instant quench their light Whole Nations ravish in the dead of Night Sweep from the Earth the mightie in Command Shall from their Thrones be snatcht without a hand He all beholds with eyes that never close Observes their Steps and their Intentions knowes No mufling Clouds nor Shades infernall can From his inquiry hide offending Man Nor shall the Punishment which guilt pursues Exceed the Crime lest he should God accuse He shall for sinnes unknowne the mighty breake And to their empty thrones advance the weake The Misteries of Night reveale to Day And in their falls their secret faults display Nor his exemplary revenge deferre Presented on the Worlds great Theatre Since they revolt from God with open jawes Blaspheme his Justice and despise his Lawes So that the cries of their oppressions rend The suffering Aire and to his eares ascend Who can disturbe the peace which he bestowes VVhat tumult waken their secure repose VVhat Nation or what one of Mortall Race Shall God behold if he withdraw his Face That Hypocrites no more may tyrannize Nor in their snares the credulous surprize Say thou I will not with my God contend But beare his Chastisements nor more offend My Ignorance informe if I have lent An Eare to vice lest I my sinnes augment VVill he with thy Arbitrement comply VVhither thou should'st consent or shouldst deny His censure is the same Shall I transgresse In not reproving what thou know'st professe And you my Auditors by God indu'd VVith sacred wisedome will I hope conclude That Job on Justice hath aspersions flung And spoken indiscreetly with his tongue O Father give his Miseries no end VVhile he shall his impietie defend
The Land by his faire Race possest To him his Counsels shall impart And seale his Covenants in his heart On thee with fixed Eyes I wait My feet inlarge thou from their snares O pittie me so worne with cares Despised poore and desolate The troubles of my mind increase Lord from their galling yoke release Behold thou my affliction The toile and straits wherein I live My sinnes so infinite forgive Behold my Foes how potent growne How are they multipli'd of late VVho hate me with a deadly hate Deliver ô from shame ptotect Since from my Faith I never swerve Let Innocence and Truth preserve VVho constantly thy ayd expect Redeeme thy chosen Israel And sorrow from his brest expell PSALME XXVI As the 4. LOrd judge my cause thy piercing Eye Beholds my Soules integritie How can I fall VVhen I and all My hopes on thee relie Examine try my reines and heart Thou Mercies Source my object art Nor from thy Truth Have I in Youth Or will in Age depart Men sold to sinne offend my sight I hate the two-tongu'd Hypocrite Those who devise Malicious lies And in their crimes delight But will with hands immaculate And offerings at thy Altar wait Thy Praise disperse In gratefull verse Thy Noble Acts relate Thy House in my esteeme excels The Mansion where thy Glory dwels My life ô close Not up with those VVhose sinne thy Grace expels VVho guiltlesse bloud with pleasure spill Subverting bribes their right-hands fill Bold in offence But Innocence And Truth shall guard me still Redeeme O with thy Grace sustaine My feet now stand upon the plaine Thy Justice I VVill magnifie VVith those who feare thy Name PSALME XXVII As the 10. GOD is my Saviour my cleare light VVho then can my repose affright Or what appeare Worth such a feare My life protected by his Might Vaine hatred vaine their power That would my life devoure These fell when they against me fought The Wicked suffer'd what they sought Though troops of foes At once in close Of feare I would not lodge a thought Should Armies compasse me So confident in thee One thing I have and shall request That I may in thy Mansion rest Till Death surprize My closing eyes That they may on thy beauty feast That in thy Temple still I may enquire thy Will When stormes arise on every side He will in his Pavillion hide How ever great In that retreat I shall conceal'd and safe abide He to resist their shocke Hath fixt me on a Rocke Now is my head advanc'd renown'd Above my foes who gird me round That in my Tent I may present My sacrifice with Trumpets sound There I thy praise will sing Set to a well-tun'd string Part 2 O heare thou my afflicted cry Extend thy pitty and reply VVhen thus the Lord In sweet accord Seeke thou my Face with searching Eye Directed by thy Grace Lord I will seeke thy Face Thy Face O therefore never hide Nor in thine anger turne aside From him that hath Serv'd thee with faith Forsake me not my ancient Guide So oft in dangers knowne O leave me not alone Although my Parents should forsake Yet Lord thou wouldst to Harbour take O lest I stray Teach me thy Way And in thy Precepts perfect make Because my enemies Watch like so many Spies Expose me not to their desire For lying witnesses conspire Who in their breath Beare Wrath and Death My Soule had sunke beneath their ire But that I did relye On thy benignity In hope to see within the Land Of those that live thy saving hand He shall impart Strength to thy heart Wait on the Lord undanted stand His heavenly Will attend VVho timely aide will send PSALME XXVIII As the 5. MY God my Rocke regard my Crie Lest I unheard like those that die In shades of darke Oblivion lie To my ascending Griefe give eare VVhen I my hands devoutly reare Before thy Mercie-seat with feare VVith wicked men mix not my Fate Nor drag me with the Reprobate VVho speake of Peace but foster hate Such as their workes their dire intent And practices to circumvent Such be their dreadfull punishment Since they will not thy Choice renowne But hate whom thou intend'st to crowne O build not up but pull them downe He heares his Name be magnifi'd My Strength secur'd on everie side Since all my hope on him rely'd These Seas of Joy my teares devoure My Songs shall celebrate thy Power O thou that art to thine a Tower O thou my strong Deliverance Thy People thine Inheritance Blesse feed preserve and still advance PSALME XXIX YOu that are of Princely Birth Praise the Lord of Heaven and Earth Glorie give his Power proclame Magnifie and praise his Name VVorship in the Beautie blesse Beautie of his Holinesse From a darke and showring Cloud On the floods that roare aloud Harke his Voice with terrour breakes God our God in Thunder speakes Powerfull in his Voice on high Full of Power and Majestie Loftie Cedars overthrowne Cedars of steepe Libanon Calfe-like skipping on the ground Libanon and Sirion bound Like a youthfull Unicorne Lab'ring Clouds with Lightning torne At his Voice the Desert shakes Kadish thy vast Desert quakes Trembling Hindes then calve for feare Shadie Forrests bare appeare His renowne by everie tongue Through his Holy Temple sung He the raging Flouds restraines He a King for ever raignes God his People shall increase Arme with Strength and blesse with Peace PSALME XXX As the 14. MY Verse shall in thy praises flow Lord thou hast rais'd my head on high Nor suffered the proud Enemie To triumph in my overthrow I cry'd aloud thy Arme did save Thou drew'st me from the shades of Death Repealing my exiled breath When almost swallow'd by the Grave You Saints of his oh sing his praise Present your Vowes unto the Lord His perfect Holinesse record Whose Wrath but for a moment stayes His quickning Favour life bestowes Teares may continue for a night But Joy springs with the Morning Light Long-lasting Joyes soone-ending Woes Part. 2 In my Prosperitie I said My feet shall ever fixt abide I by thy favour fortify'd Am like a stedfast Mountaine made But when thou hid'st thy cheerfull Face How infinite my Troubles grew My cries then with my griefe renew VVhich thus implor'd thy saving Grace VVhat profit can by bloud afford VVhen I shall to the Grave descend Can senselesse Dust thy Praise extend Can Death thy living Truth record To my Complaints attentive be Thy Mercie in my aid advance O perfect my Deliverance That have no other Hope but Thee Thou Lord hast made th' Afflicted glad My Sorrow into Dauncing turn'd The Sack-cloth torne wherein I mourn'd And me in Tyrian Purple clad That so my Glorie might proclame Thy Favours in a joyfull Verse Uncessantly thy Praise rehearse And magnifie thy sacred Name PSALME XXXI CANT BASS VVHo trusts in Thee ô let not shame deject Thou ever Just my chased Soule secure Lord lend a willing eare with speed protect
made And guide it with a reine Justice with Judgement joyn'd thy Throne uphold Mercy and Truth thy sacred browes infold Thrice happy they who when the Trumpet cals Throng to thy celebrated Festivals They of thy Beauty shall injoy the sight And guide their Feet by that informing light Thy Name shall daily in their mouthes be found And in thy Justice shall their Joyes abound Part. 3 Our Ornament in Peace our Strength in Wars Thy Favour shall exalt us to the Stars Thou Holy One of Israel our King Thou our defence secure beneath thy VVing Thus spake Jehovah by his Prophets voice Of strenuous David have I made my choice On that Heroë powr'd my Sacred Oyle To guide my People and preserve from spoile I will support him with my powerfull Arme No Foe shall Tribute force nor Treason harme His enemies before his Face shall flie And those who hate his Soule by slaughter die Our Truth and Clemencie shall crowne his Daies And to the Firmament his Glory raise He from the Billows of the Tyrian Maine To swift Euphrates shall extend his Reigne Who in his oft renew'd Devotions shall Me Father God and great Protector call My Favorite he shall be and my First birth Rais'd above all the Princes of the Earth My Mercy him for ever shall preserve And from my Promise I will never swerve His Seed shall alwaies reigne his Throne shall last While Daies have light and Nights their shadows cast Part. 4 If they my Judgements slight forsake my Law My Rites neglect and from my Rule withdraw Then I with whips will their offences scourge With labour misery and sorrows urge Yet will not utterly my King forsake My Vow infringe or alter what I spake I by my Sanctity to David sware That he and his should never want an Heire To sway the Hebrew Scepter while the Sun His usuall Race should through the Zodiack run VVhile Men the Moone and radiant Stars should see The faithfull witnesses of my Decree But thou art angry with thy owne Elect And dost thy late affected King reject Infringe the Cov'nant to thy Servant sworne Thou from his Browes his Diadem hast torne Cast downe the Rampier which his strength renown'd And all his Bulwarks level'd with the ground VVhom now his Neighbours scorne a common prey And spoile to all that travell by the way Part. 5 Thou addest strength and courage to his Foes VVho now rejoyce and triumph in his woes Rebatest his sharpe Sword unnerv'st his might And mak'st him shrinke in fervor of the fight His splendor hast Eclipsed his renowne In ruines buried and his Throne cast downe His Youth consumed with untimely Age Markt out for shame the object of thy Rage How long shall he in thy displeasure mourne Still shall thy Anger like a Furnace burne O call to mind the shortnesse of my daies That dreame of Man which like a Flower decaies VVho lives that can the stroke of Death defend Or shall not to the silent Grave descend Where is thy ancient Love thy plighted Troth Confirm'd to David by a solemne Oath Remember the Reproches I have borne Those of the Mighty and their bitter scorne Traduced by thy enemies abhorr'd Yet O my pensive Soule praise thou the Lord. Amen Amen A PARAPHRASE VPON THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE PSALMES OF DAVID PSALME XC As the 34. O Thou the Father of us all Our refuge from th' Originall That wert our God before The aëry Mountaines had their birth Or Fabricke of the peopled Earth And art for evermore But fraile man daily dying must At thy Command returne to Dust Or should he Ages last Ten thousand yeares are in thy sight But like a quadrant of the Night Or as a Day that 's past He by the Torrent swept from hence An empty Dreame which mocks the Sense And from the Phansie flies Such as the beauty of the Rose Which in the dewy Morning blows Then hangs the head and dies Through daily anguish we expire Thy anger a consuming Fire To our offences due Our sinnes although by Night conceal'd By shame and feare are all reveal'd And naked to thy view Thus in thy wrath our yeares we spend And like a sad discourse they end Nor but to seventy last Or if to eighty they arrive We then with Age and Sicknesse strive Cut off with winged haste Part. 2 Who knowes the terror of thy wrath Or to thy dreadfull anger hath Proportion'd his due feare Teach us to number our fraile Daies That we our hearts to Thee may raise And wisely sinne forbeare Lord O how long at length relent And of our miseries repent Thy Early Mercy shew That we may unknowne comfort taste For those long daies in sorrow past As long of joy bestow The works of thy accustom'd Grace Shew to thy Servants on their Race Thy chearefull beames reflect O let on us thy Beauty shine Blesse our attempts with aide divine And by thy Hand direct PSALME XCI As the 9. VVHo makes th' Almighty his retreat Shall rest beneath his shady Wings Free from th' oppression of the Great The rage of Warre or wrath of Kings Free from the cunning Fowlers traine The tainted aires infectious breath His Truth in perils shall susteine And shield thee from the stroke of Death No terrors shall thy sleeps affright Nor deadly flying Arrowes slay Nor Pestilence devoure by Night Or Slaughter massacre by Day A thousand and ten thousand shall Sinke on thy Right hand and thy Left Yet thou secure shall see their fall By vengeance of their lives bereft Since God thou hast thy Refuge made And do'st to him thy Vowes direct No evill shall thy strength invade Nor wasting plagues thy roofe infect Thee shall his Angels safely guide Upheld by winged Legions Left thou at any time should'st slide And dash thy Foot against the Stones Thou on the Basiliske shalt tread The Mountaine Lion boldly meet And trample on the Dragons Head The Leopard prostrate at thy Feet Since he hath fix't his love on me Saith God and walked in my wayes I will his Soule from danger free And from the reach of Envie raise To him I his desires will give From danger guard in honour place He long long happily shall live And flourish in my saving Grace PSALME XCII As the 29. THou who art inthron'd above Thou by whom we live and move O how sweet how excellent Is 't with tongue and hearts consent Thankefull hearts and joyfull tongues To renowne thy Name in Songs When the Morning paints the Skies When the sparkling Starres arise Thy high favours to rehearse Thy firme faith in gratefull Verse Take the Lute and Violin Let the solemne Harpe begin Instruments strung with ten strings While the Silver Cimbal rings From thy VVorkes my joy proceeds How I triumph in thy Deeds VVho thy Wonders can expresse All thy Thoughts are fathomlesse Hid from Men in Knowledge blinde Hid from Fooles to Vice inclin'd Who that Tyrant Sin obey Though they spring like Flowers in
Soule pursues thee in the Night And when the Morne displayes her Light Part. 2 Didst thou thy Judgements exercise Then Mortals should the Truth discerne And yet the Wicked would not learne But thy extended Grace despise Among the Just to Injustice sold Nor will thy Majesty behold Shouldst thou advance thine Arme on High Though wilfull-blind yet should they view The Shame and Vengeance which pursue All those who thy deare Saints envy Those vindicating Flames which burne Thy Foes shall them to Cinders turne Thou our eternall peace hast wrought And in our works thy Wonders showne Though other Lords besides our owne Had us to their subjection brought Yet through thy onely Goodnesse we Remembred both thy Name and Thee Dead are they never more to rise From those darke Caves of endlesse Night Nor ever shall the cheerefull Light Revisit with their closed eyes Thy Vengeance hath expel'd their Breath And clos'd their Memories in Death Part. 3 Thou Thou hast given us wounds on wounds In punishing thy Glory showne Far from thy chearfull Presence throwne Even to the Worlds extreamest bounds Amidst our stripes and sighings we Addrest our zealous Prayers to Thee As Women groaning with their Load The time of their Delivery neere Anticipating paine with feare Screeke in their Pangs So we to God So suffer'd when in thy Disgrace So cry'd out when thou hid'st thy Face For we with Sorrow's burthen fraught Paine and anxiety of Mind Brought onely forth an empty Wind Nor our desir'd Delivery wrought We neither could repulse our Foes Nor give a period to our Woes The Lord thus to his People spake Thy Dead shall live those who remaine In peacefull Graves shall rise againe O you who sleepe in Dust awake Now sing on you my Plants I 'le shed My Deaw the Graves shall cast their Dead Goe hide thee in thy inward Roomes A little till my Wrath passe by To punish Mans impiety The Lord from Heaven in Thunder comes The Earth then shall your Bloud reveale Nor longer shall the Slaine conceale ESAY XXXVIII As the 39. Psalme IN the substraction of my yeares I said with Teares Ah! now I to the Shades below Must naked goe Cut off by Death before my Time And like a Flower cropt in my Prime Lord in thy Temple I no more Shall Thee adore No longer with Mankind converse In my cold Herse My Age is past ere it be spent Removed like a Shepheards Tent. My fraile Life like a Weavers thred My Sins have shred My vitall powers Diseases waste With greedy haste Even from the Evening to the Day I languish and consume away And when the Morning Watch is past Thinke that my last Thou like a Lion break'st my bones Nor hear'st my groanes Even from the Dawning to the Night Death waites to close my failing Sight Thus Swallow-like like to a Crane My Woes complaine Mourne like a Turtle-Dove but late Rob'd of his Mate I my dim eyes to Thee erect The Weake ô strengthen and protect Part 2 What praise can reach thy Clemency O thou Most High Thy Words are ever crown'd with Deeds Joy Griefe succeeds My bitter pangs at length are past And long my peacefull dayes shall last My lively vigour dost restore Increa'st with more My Yeares prolong'd now flourishing In their new Spring Thou hast with Joy dry'd up my Teares And with my Griefe exil'd my Feares Thy Love hath drawne me from the Pit Where Horrors sit My Soule-infecting Sins thou hast Behind Thee cast The Grave can not thy Praise relate Nor Death thy Goodnesse celebrate Can they expect thy Mercy whom Cold Earth intombe The Living must thy Truth display A I this Day This Fathers to their Sons shall tell While Soules in humane Bodies dwell The Lord as ready was to save As I to crave I therefore to the warbling string His Praise will sing And in his House till my last Day My gratefull Vowes devoutly pay JONAH I. As the 9. Psalme ON Thee my captiv'd Soule did call Thou who art present every where From the darke Entrailes of the Whale Didst thy intombed Servant heare Thy Hand into the Surges threw The Seas blacke armes forthwith unfold Downe to the horrid Bottom drew And all her Waves upon me rould Then said my Soule For ever I Am banisht from thy glorious sight And yet thy Temple with the Eye Of Faith review'd in that blind Night The Flouds my Soule involv'd below The swallowing Deeps besieg'd me round And Weeds which in the bottom grow My Head with funerall Dresses bound I to the roots of Mountaines div'd Whom bars of broken Rocks restraine Yet from that Tombe of death reviv'd And rais'd to see the Sun againe I when my Soule began to faint My Vowes and Prayers to thee prefer'd The Lord my passionate complaint Even from his holy Temple heard Those who affect false vanities The Mercy of their God betray But I my Thankes will sacrifice And Vowes to my Redeemer pay HABAKKVK III. As the 72. Psalme GReat God with terror I have heard thy Doome The fearefull punishments that are to come Yet in the midst of those devouring Yeares Then when thy Vengeance shall exceed our Feares Thy Worke in us revive confirme our Faith And still remember Mercy in thy Wrath. God came from Theman and the Holy-one From Parans Mountaine where his Glory shone VVhich fil'd the heav'ns themselves with brighter Raies And all the Earth replenisht with his Praise His Brightnesse as the Suns his Fingers Streames Of Light project his Power hid in those Beames Devouring Pestilence before him flew And wasting Flames his dreadfull Steps pursue Then fixt his Feet and measur'd with his Eyes The Earths Extent pale Feares her Sons surprise The ancient Mountaines shrunke eternall Hils Stoopt to their Bases All Amazement fils His Glory and his Terrour he displaies In his unknowne and everlasting Waies I saw th' afflicted Tents of Cushan quake And Midians Cortines in that Tempest shake Part 2 VVhen thou O Lord the Rivers didst divide And on the Chariots of Salvation ride Through the congested Billowes of the Seas VVas it because thou wast displeas'd with these According to thy Oath thou drew'st thy Sword Thy Oath sworne to our Tribes thy constant Word From cloven Rocks new Torrents tooke their flight And ayery Mountaines trembled at thy sight The over-flowing Streames inforce their Wayes The Deeps to Thee their Hands and Voyces raise The Sunne and Moone obedient to Command Till then in restlesse Motion made a Stand. Thy Darts and flaming Arrowes swift as Sight Confound thy Foes but give thy People Light He in his Fury marched through the Land And crusht the Heathen with a vengefull Hand Th' Anointed with thy Sword their Leaders slew The Joynts disclos'd where Heads of Princes grew VVith thy transfixing Speare their Subjects strake VVho like a blacke and dreadfull Tempest brake Vpon our Front with purpose to devoure And triumph over our despised Power He through the roaring Flouds his People guides
tak'st Those Parts wherein the most Perverse may see Divinity and Poesie agree Afflicted Iob a Veile of Sorrow shrouds But heavenly Beames dispell those envious Clouds The Royall Psalmist borne on Angels wings Now weepes in Verse now Halelu-jahs sings Converted Salomon to our eyes presents Deluding Ioyes and curelesse Discontents That good Iosiah's Name may never dye Thy Muse revives his Mournfull Elegy With the same Zeale doth to our Numbers fit All the Poeticke Parts of Holy Writ And thus Salvation thou maist bring to those Who never would have sought for it in Prose Henry Rainsford To his VVorthy Friend Mr. George Sandys on his Sacred Poems HOw bold a Worke attempts that Pen Which would enrich our Vulgar tongue With the high Raptures of those Men VVho here with the same Spirit sung VVherewith they now assist the Quire Of Angels who their Songs admire VVhat ever those inspired Soules VVere urged to expresse did shake The Aged Deepe and both the Poles Their numerous Thunder could awake Dull Earth which doth with Heav'n consent To all They wrought and all They meant Say Sacred Bard what could bestow Courage on thee to soare so high Tell mee Brave Friend what help'd thee so To shake off all Mortalitie To Light this Torch thou hast climb'd higher Then he who stole caelestiall Fire Edward Waller To my worthy Friend Mr. George Sandys INspir'd by Thee who art thy selfe a Muse Not crown'd with Ivy or neglected Baies But with a sacred Light which doth infuse Into our Soules her intellectuall Raies Among these Starres of the first Magnitude I in affection my dimne Taper bring For though my Voice be horce my Numbers rude On such a Theame who could forbeare to sing Immortall Sands whose Nectar-dropping Pen Delights instructs and with that holy Fire Which fell from Heaven warmes the cold brests of men And in their Minds creats a new Desire For Truth in Poesie so sweetly strikes Vpon the Cords and Fivers of the Heart That it all other Harmony dislikes And happily is Vanquisht by her Art These God-like Formes inspir'd with Breath divine Blest in themselves and making others Blest For us are by that curious hand of thine In English Habits elegantly drest May our great Master to whose sacred Name Thy Studious Houres such usuall Gifts direct As Caesar to his Maro prove the Same And equall Beames upon thy Muse reflect Wintoure Grant A PARAPHRASE VPON IOB Chap. 1 IN Hus a Land which neare the Suns uprise And Northern confines of Sabaea lies A great Example of Perfection reign'd His Name was Iob his Soul with guilt unstaind None with more zeale the Deitie ador'd Affected Vertue more Vice more abhorr'd Three beauteous Daughters and seven hopefull Boyes Renew'd his youth and crown'd his Nuptiall Ioyes Lord of much Riches which the use renownes Seven thousand broad-taild Sheepe gras'd on his Downes Three thousand Camels his ranke Pastures fed Arabia's wandring Ships for traffick bred His gratefull Fields a thousand Oxen till'd They with their rich increase the hungry fill'd Five hundred Asses yearely tooke the Horse Producing Mules of greater speed and force The Master of a mighty Family Well ord'red and directed by his Eye None was more opulent in all the East Of greater Power yet such as still increast By daily turnes the Brothers entertaine Each other with the weeke begin againe This constant custome held Not to excite And pamper the voluptuous Appetite But to preserve the Vnion of their Blood With sober Banquets and unpurchas'd Food Th'invited Sisters with their graces blest Their festivals and were themselves a Feast Their turnes accomplisht Iobs religious care His Sonnes assembles whose united praier Like sweet perfumes from golden Censors rise Then with divine Lustrations sanctifies And when the Rosy-finger'd Morne arose From bleating Flocks unblemisht fatlings chose Proportion'd to their number these he slew And bleeding on the flaming Altar threw Perhaps said he my Children in the heat Of wine and mirth their Maker may forget And give accesse to Sinne. Thus they the Round Of Concord Keepe by his Devotions crownd Iehova from the summit of the skie Environ'd with his winged Hierarchie The world survaid When lo the Prince of Hell Who whilome from that envy'd Glory fell Like an infectious Exhalation Shot through the Spheares and stood before his Throne False Spirit said th' Almighty that all shapes Do'st counterfeit to perpetrate thy Rapes Whence com'st thou He reply'd I with the Sun Have circl'd the round World much People won From thy strict Rule to my indulgent Raigne Taught that no pleasure can result from paine Hast thou said God observ'd my servant Iob Is their a Mortall treading on the Globe Of Earth so perfect can thy wicked Arts Corrupt his goodnesse all thy fiery Darts The Armour of his fortitude repels In Iustice he as thou in fraud excels Our power adores with sacrifices feasts Loves what thou hat'st and all thy works detests Hath Iob serv'd God for nothing Satan said Or unrewarded at thy Altar paid His frequent vowes Hast thou not him and all Which he cals his inclosed with a wall Of strength impregnable his labours blest And almost with prosperitie opprest Left nothing to desire yet should'st thou lay Thy hand upon him or but take away What thy Indulgence gave in foule disgrace He would blaspheme and curse thee to thy face Iehova said his Children all he hath Are subject to the venome of thy wrath Alone his Person spare The tempter then Shrunke from his presence to th'aboads of Men. As at their elder Brother 's all the rest Of that faire off-spring celebrate is feast With liberall joy and coole th'inflaming blood Of generous grapes with christall of the flood A Messenger arriv'd halfe out of breath Yet pale with horror of escaped Death And cry'd Oh Iob as thy strong Oxen till'd The stubborne fallowes while thy Asses fill'd Themselves with Herbage all became a prey To arm'd Sabaeans who in ambush lay Thy Servants by their cursed fury slaine And I the only Messenger remaine Another entred ere his tale was told With singed haire and said I must unfold A dreadfull Accident At Noone a Night Of clouds arose that Day depriv'd of Light Whose roaring conflicts from their breaches threw Darts of inevitable flames which slew Thy Sheepe and Shepheards I of all alone Escap'd to make the sad Disaster knowne This hardly said a third with blood imbrew'd Brake through the Presse and thus his griefe pursu'd The fierce Chaldaeans in three Troopes assaild Our Guards till they their Soules through wounds exhal'd Then drave away thy Camels only I Thus wounded live to tell thy losse and Die As thronging Billowes one another drive To murmuring shores so thicke and fast arrive These Messengers of Death The fourth and last With staring haire wild lookes and breathlesse haste Rusht in and said Oh Iob prepare to heare The saddest newes that ever pierc'd an eare Loe as thy Children on soft Couches lay And with
discourses entertain'd the Day A sodain Tempest from the Desert flew With horrid wings and thundered as it blew Then whirling round the Quoines together strooke And to the ground that lofty fabrick shooke Thy Sonnes and Daughters buryed in the fall Who ah deserv'd a nobler Funerall And I alone am living to relate Their Tragedies that was deni'd their Fate He who the assaults of Fortune like a rock So long withstood could not sustaine this shock But rising forthwith from his shoulders tare His purple robe and and shav'd his dangling haire Then on the Earth his Body prostrate laid And thus with humble adoration said Naked I was at my first houre of Birth And naked must returne unto the Earth God gives God takes away Oh be his Name For ever blest thus free from touch of blame Iob firmely stood and with a patient mind His Crosses bare nor at his God repin'd Chap. 2 Againe when all the radiant Sonnes of Light Before his Throne appear'd whose only sight Beatitude infus'd Th'inveterate foe In fogs ascending from the depth below Profain'd their blest Assembly what pretence Said God hath brought thee hither and from whence I come said he from compassing the Earth Their Travels seene who spring from humane birth Then God hast thou my Servant Iob beheld Can his rare pietie be paralel'd His Iustice equal'd can alluring vice With all her Sorceries his Soule intice His daily Orisons attract our Eares Who punishment lesse then the trespasse feares And still his old Integritie retaines Through all his woes inflicted by thy traines When he whose labouring thoughts admit no rest This answer threw out of his Stygian brest Iob to himselfe is next who will not give All that he hath so his owne Soule may live Stretch out thy hand with aches pierce his bones His flesh with lashes multiply his grones Then if he curse thee not let thy dire Curse Increase my torments if they can be worse To whom the Lord Thou Instrument of strife Enjoy thy cruell wish but spare his Life The Soule of Envy from his presence went And through the burning Aire made his descent To execution falles The blood within His veines inflames and poysons his smooth skin Now all was but one sore from foot to head With burning Carbuncles and Vlcers spread He on the Ashes sits his fate deplores And with a pot-sheard scrapes the swelling Sores His frantick wife whose patience could not beare Such waight of Miseries thus wounds his eare Is this the purchase of thy Innocence O Foole thy Piety is thy offence He whom thou serv'st hath us of all berest Our Children slaine and thee to torments left Goe on his Iustice praise O rather flye To thy assur'd reliefe Curse God and dye Thou wretch thy Sexes folly he reply'd Shall we who have so long his Bounty try'd And flourish'd in his favour now not beare Our harmes with patience but renounce his Feare Thus his great Minde his Miseries transcends Nor the least accent of his lips offends Now was his ruine by the breath of Fame Divulg'd through all the East when Zophar came From pleasant Naamath wise Eliphas From Theman rich in Palmes but poore in grasse And Bildad from Suïtah's fruitfull Soile Prais'd for the plentie of her Corne and Oyle These meete from severall Quarters to condole With their old Friend and comfort his sad Soule Yet at the first unknowne his Miseries Had so transform'd him knowne they joyn'd their cryes Wept bitterly their sable Mantles tare Rais'd Clouds of Dust that fell upon their haire Seven Dayes they sate besides him on the ground As many Nights in silent Sorrow drown'd For yet they knew the Torrent of his woe Would by resistance more outragious grow He when excesse of Sorrow had given way To the reliefe of words thus curs'd his Day O perish may the Day which first gave light To me most wretched and the fatall Night Of my Conception let that Day be bound In Clouds of Pitch nor walke the Etheriall Round Let God not write it in his Roll of Dayes Nor let the Sunne restore it with his Raies Let Deaths darke Shades involve no light appeare But dreadfull Lightnings it s owne horrors feare Be it the first of Miseries to all Or last of Life defam'd with Funerall O be that dismall Night for ever blind Lost in it selfe nor to the Day rejoyn'd Nor numbred in the swift Circumference Of Monthes and Yeares but vanish in offence O let it sad and solitary prove No sprightly Musicke heare nor Songs of Love Let wandring Apparitions then affright The trembling Bride and quench the Nuptiall light O Let those hate it who the Day-light hate Who mourne and grone beneath their sorrowes waight Let the eclipsed Moone her Throne resigne In steed of Starres let Blazing Meteors shine Let it not see the Dawning flecke the skies Nor the gray Morning from the Ocean rise Because the Doore of Life it left unclos'd And me a wretch to cruell fates expos'd Oh why was I not strangled in the wombe Nor in that secret prison found a Tombe Or since untimely borne why did not I The next of blessings in that instant die Why kneel'd the Midwife at my Mothers throes With paine produc'd and nurse for future woes Else had I an eternall Requiem kept And in the armes of Peace for ever slept With Kings and Princes ranckt who lofty frames In Deserts rais'd t'immortalize their Names Who made the wealth of Prouinces their prey In death as mighty and as rich as they Then I as an Abortive had not beene Nor with the hated Light such Sorrowes seene Slept where none ere by violence opprest And where the weary from their Labors rest No Prisoners there inforc'd by torments cry But fearelesse by their old Tormentors Lye The Meane and Great on equall Bases stand No Servants there obey nor Lords command Why should afflicted Soules in anguish live And only have immunitie to grieve Oh how they wish for Death to close their eyes But oh in vaine since he the wretched flyes For whom they dig as Pioners for Gold Which the darke entrales of the Earth unfold And having found him as their Libertie With Ioy encounter and contented die Why should he live from whom God hath the path Of safetie hid incompast with his wrath In Stormes of sigh's I taste my bitter food My grones breake from me like a roaring flood The Ruine which I fear'd and in my thought So oft revolv'd one fatall Houre hath brought Nor durst I on Prosperitie presume Or time in sleepe and barren Ease consume But watcht my weary steps and yet for all My Providence these Plagues upon me fall Chap. 4 Temanian Eliphas made this reply O Friend be it no breach of Love that I With silence dare not justifie a wrong For who in such a Cause can curb his Tongue Wilt thou that wert to pietie a guide That others hast with patience fortifide Confirm'd the Strong given sinewes to the
Weake Now in the change of Fortune faint and breake Into offences aggravate thy harmes Forsake thy strength and cast away thy armes Is this thy Piety thy Confidence Thy hope and Life untainted with offence Consult with former Ages Have they knowne The guiltlesse perish or the Iust ore ' throwne But those who plow with vice and mischiefe throw Into the furrowes reape the Seed they sow God shall destroy them with his Nostrils breath And send them weeping to the caves of Death For he the raging Lyonesse confounds The roaring Lyon with his javelin wounds Scatters their Whelps their grinders breakes so they With the old Hunter starve for want of Prey Now when the Night her sable wings had spred And sleepe his Deaw on pensive Mortals shed When Visions in their aiery shapes appeare A Voice not humane whispered in mine eare My knees each other struck the frighted blood Fled to my heart my haire like bristles stood An Angel then appear'd before my sight Yet could no shape discerne so great a light He threw about him forthwith silence brake And thus to me intranc'd with wonder spake Shall mortall Man that is but borne to die Compare in Iustice and Integritie With him who made him he who must descend Againe to Earth and in Corruption end His Angels were imperfect in his sight Although indu'd with Intellectuall Light Whom he accus'd of folly much more they Who dwell in houses built of brittle clay Which have their weake foundations in the dust The food of wormes and Times devouring Rust They to the Evening from the Sunnes uprise Are exercis'd with change of Miseries Then unregarded set in endlesse Night Nor ever shall review the Morning light Thus all their Glories vanish with their breath They and their Wisedomes vanquished by Death Chap. 5 Now try what Patron can thy cause defend What Saint wilt thou solicite or what Friend The Storme of his owne rage the foole confounds And Envies rankling sting th' imprudent wounds Oft have I seene him like a Cedar spread His ample Roote and his ambitious Head With Clouds invest then to th' amaze of all Plow up the Earth with his prodigious fall His wandring Orphans finde no safe retreat But friendlesse suffer at the Iudgement-Seat The greedy eate the harvest of their toile Snatcht from the scratching thornes to theives a spoile Though Sorrow spring not from the wombe of Earth Nor troubles from the Dust derive their Birth Yet man is borne to numerous Miseries As dying Sparks from trembling flames arise Should I the burthen of thy face sustaine I would not justifie myselfe in vaine But at his feet my humble Soule deject With prayers and teares who wonders can effect As infinite as great and farre above That Spheare wherein our low Conceptions move He waters from celestiall Casements powers Which fall upon the furrowed Earth in showers To comfort those who mourne in want and give The famisht food that they may eate and Live The Counsels of the Subtill he prevents And by his wisedome frustrates their Intents Intangles in the Snares themselves contrive Who desperately to their owne Ruine drive They meete with Darknesse in the clearest Light And grope at Noone as if involv'd with Night Licentious Swords Oppression arm'd with power Nor Envies jawes the Righteous shall devoure They ever hope though exercis'd with care The wicked silen'st by their owne despaire Happy is he whom Gods owne hands chastise Since so let none his Chastisements despise For he both hurts and heales binds up againe The wounds he made and mittigates their paine In sixe afflictions will thy refuge be And from the seventh and last shall set thee free From meager Famines bloodlesse Massacrees And from the cruell thirst of horrid Warres Preserved from the scourge of poysonous tongues The sting of Malice and insulting Wrongs Thou shalt in safetie smile when all the Earth Shall suffer by the rage of Warre and Death The Midian Tyger The Arabian Beare Nor Idumaean Lion shalt thou feare They all their native fiercenesse shall decline And senselesse Stones shall in thy aide combine Thy Tents shall flourish in the Joyes of Peace The wealth and Honour of thy House increase Thy Children and their off-spring shall abound Like blades of grasse that cloath the pregnant ground Thou full of Dayes like waighty shocks of Corne In season reapt shall to thy grave be borne This truth by long experience learnt apply Chap. 6 To thy Disease and on the cure relye Then Iob Oh were my sufferings duly waigh'd Were they together in one Balance laid The Sands whereon the rowling Billowes roare Were lesse in waight and not in number more My words are swallowed in these Deaths of woes While Stormes of sighes my silent griefe disclose Gods Arrowes on my breast descend in showers There stick and poyson all my vitall powers 'T is he who armes against a Mortall beares Subdues my strength and chils my heart with feares Doe hungry Asses in fresh pastures bray Or Oxen low before full cribs of hay Oh can unseas'ned cates the guest invite What taste is in an Eggs unsavory white My lothing soule abhors your bitter food Which sorrow feeds and turnes my teares to blood Oh that the Lord would favour my request And send my Soule to her eternall rest Deliver from this Dungeon which restraines Her liberty and breake Afflictions chaines Then should my Torments finde a sure reliefe And I become insensible of griefe Oh by not sparing cure his wounds who hath Divulg'd thy truth and still preserv'd his faith What strength have I to hope or to what end Should I on such a wasted Life depend Was I by rocks ingendred ribd with steele Such tortures to resist or not to feele No hope no comfort but in Death is left Thus torne with wounds of all my Joyes bereft True Friends who feare their Maker should impart Soft pittie to a sad and broken Heart But Oh the great in vowes and neare in Blood Forsake me like the torrent of a Flood Which in the winding vallies glides away And scarce maintaines the Current of a Day Or stands in solid Ice conceal'd with Snow But when the lowdly-storming South winds blow And mounted Sun invades it with his beames Dissolves and scatters his exhausted Streames Who from the parched fields of Thema came From Shaeba scorched with etheriall Flame In expectation to asswage their thirst Deluded blusht and his dry channels curst So you now cease to be what once you were And view my downfall with the eyes of Feare Have I requir'd your bounty to repaire My ruin'd fortunes was it in my praier That you for me the Mighty would oppose And in a just revenge pursue my foes If I have err'd instruct me tell wherein My tongue shall never justifie a Sin Although a due reproofe informe the Sense Detraction is the Gall of Impudence Why adde you sorrow to a troubled mind Passion must speake her words are but as wind Against
an Orphan you your forces bend And banquet with the afflictions of a friend Accuse not now but judge you from my youth Have knowne and try'de me speake I more then truth Vnveile your Eyes and then I shall appeare The same I am from all aspersions cleare Have I my heart disguised with my tongue Could not my tast distinguish right from wrong The life of Man is a perpetuall warre Chap. 7 In Miserie and Sorrow Circular He a poore mercenary serves for bread For all his travell only cloth'd and fed The Hireling longs to see the Shades ascend That with the tedious Day his toyle might end And he his pay receive but ah in vaine I Monthes consume yet never rest obtaine The Night charmes not my Cares with sleeplesse eyes My Tornients cry When will the Morning rise Why runs the Charriot of the Night so slow The Day-Star finds me tossing to and fro VVormes gnaw my flesh with filth my ulcers run My skin like clods of Earth chapt with the Sunne Like shuttles through the loome so swiftly glide My feathered Howers and all my hopes deride Remember Lord my life is but a wind VVhich passeth by and leaves no print behind Then never shall my Eyes their lids unfold Nor mortall sight my vanisht face behold Not thou to whom our thoughts apparant bee Should'st thou desire could'st him that is not see As clouds resolve to aire so never more Shall gloomy Graves their Dead to Light restore Nor shall they to their sumptuous Roofes returne But lye forgotten as if never borne Then O my Soule while thou hast freedome breake Into Complaints give Sorrow leave to speake Am I a raging Sea or furious VVhale That thou should'st thus confine me with a wall How often when the rising Stars had spread Their golden Flames said I now shall my Bed Refresh my weary limbs and peacefull Sleepe My care and anguish in his Lethe steepe But lo sad Dreames my troubled Braines surprise And gastly Visions wound my staring Eyes So that my yeilding Soule subdude with greife And tortur'd Body to their last reliefe VVould gladly flye and by a violence Lesse painefull take from greater paine the Sense For life is but my curse resume the breath I must restore and fold me up in Death O what is man to whom thou should'st impart So great an Honour as to search his Hart To watch his Steps observe him with thine eye And daily with renew'd afflictions try Still must I suffer wilt thou never leave Nor give a little time for griefe to breath My Soule hath sinn'd how can I expiate Her guilt great Guardian or prevent thy hate VVhy aim'st thou all thy darts at me alone VVho to my selfe am know a Burthen growne VVilt thou not to a broken Heart dispense Thy Balme of mercy and expunge th' offence E're dust returne to dust Then thou no more Shalt see my Face nor I thy Name adore Chap. 8 Thus Iob. Then Bildad of Suita said Vaine Man how long wilt thou thy God up-braid And like the roaring of a furious wind Thus vent the wild distemper of thy mind Can he pervert his Iudgements shall he swerve From his owne Justice and thy Passions serve If he thy Sonnes for their rebellion slew Death was the wages to their merit dew Oh would'st thou seeke unto the Lord betimes With fervent prayer and abstinence from crimes Nor with new follies spot thy Innocence Then would he alwayes watch in thy defence The House that harbor'd so much vertue blesse With fruitfull Peace and crowne thee with successe Then would he centuple thy former store And make thee farre more happy then before Search thou the Records of Antiquitie And on our Ancestors reflect thine Eye For we alas are but of Yesterday Know nothing and like shadowes fleet away Thou in those Mirrors shalt the truth behold VVhose tongues un-erring Oracles unfold Can Bulrushes but by the River grow Can Flags there flourish where no waters flow Yet they when greene when yet untoucht of all That cloth the Spring first hang their heads and fall So double-hearted Hypocrites so they VVho God forget shall in their prime decay Their ayery hopes as brittle as the thin And subtill webs which toyling Spiders spin Their Houses full of wealth and Ryot shall Deceive their trust and crush them in their fall Though like a Cedar by the River fed He to the Sunne his ample Branches spread His Top surrounds with Clouds deepe in the flood Bathes his firme Rootes even of himselfe a VVood And from his heigth a night-like shaddow throw Vpon the Marble Palaces below Yet shall the Axe of Justice hew him downe And levell with the Roote his lofty Crowne No Eye shall his out-raz'd impression view Nor mortall know where such a Glory grew Those seeming goods whereof the wicked vaunt Thus fade while others on their ruines plant God never will the Innocent forsake Nor sinfull Soules to his protection take Cleanse thou thy Heart then in thy ample breast Joy shall triumph and smiles thy cheekes invest He will thy Foes with silent shame confound And their proud structures levell with the ground Chap. 9 This is a truth acknowledg'd Iob replies But Oh what Man is righteous in his Eyes VVho can not-guilty plead before his Throne Or of a thousand Actions answer one God is in wisedome as in power immense VVho ever could contend without offence Offend unpunish't you who Glory most In your owne Strength can you of conquest boast Cloud-touching Mountaines to new seates are borne From their Foundations by his fury torne Th' affrighted Earth in her distemper quakes VVhen his Almighty Hand her Pillars shakes At whose command the Suns swift Horses stay VVhile Mortalls wonder at so long a Day The Moone into her darkned Orbe retires Nor seal'd up Starres extend their golden fires He only He Heavens blew Pavillion spreads And on the Oceans dancing Billowes treads Immane Arcturus weeping Pleiades Orion who with Stormes plowes up the Seas For severall Seasons fram'd and all that rowle Their radiant Flame about the Antartick Pole VVhat wonders are effected by his might Oh how inscrutable how Infinite Though he observe me and be ever by Yet ah Invisible to mortall Eye Can hands of Flesh compell him to restore VVhat he shall take or who dare aske wherefore The great in Pride and Power like Meteors shall If he relent not by his Vengeance fall And Oh shall I a worme my cause defend Or in vaine Argument with God contend I would not were I innocent dispute But humbly to my Judge present my Suite Yet never could my hopes be confident Though God himselfe should to my wish consent VVho with incessant stormes my peace confounds And multiplies my undeserved wounds Nor gives me time to breathe my Stomack fills With food of bitter tast and Lothsome pills Speake I of strength his strength the strong obay If I of Judgement speake who shall a Day Appoint for tryall should I Justifie
his hands both good and ill Dispense that Fate depends upon his will All that have Life are subject to his sway And at his pleasure prosper or decay Is not the Eare the Judge of Eloquence Gives not the Pallate to the Tast his sense Sure knowledge is deriv'd from length of yeares And Wisedomes browes are cloth'd with Silver haires Gods power is as his prudence equall great In Counsell and Intelligence compleat VVho can what he shall ruine build againe Loose whom he binds or his strong Arme restraine At his rebuke the Living waters flye To their old Springs and leave their Channels dry When he commands in Cataracts they roare And the wild Ocean leaves it selfe no shoare His Wisedome and his Power our thoughts transcend Both the Deceiver and deceiv'd depend Vpon his beck He those who others rule Infatuates and makes the Judge a foole Dissolves the Nerves of Empire Kings deprives Of Soveraignty their Crownes exchang'd for gyves Impoverisht Nobles into exile leades And on the Carcases of Princes treads Takes from the Orator his eloquence From ancient Sages their discerning sense Subjects the worthy to contempt and wrong The valiant terrifies disarmes the strong Vnvailes the secrets of the silent Night Brings what the shades of death obscures to light A Nation makes more numerous then the Stars Againe devours with Famine Plagues and VVars Now like a Deluge they the Earth surround Forthwith reduc'd into a narrow bound He Fortitude and Counsell takes away From their Commanders who in Deserts stray Grope in the Darke and to no Seat confine Their wandring feet but reele as drunke with wine This by mine Eyes and eares have I convay'd Chap. 13 Downe to my heart and in that Closet laid Need I in depth of knowledge yeild to you Is not as much to my discretion due Oh that th' All-seeing Judge who cannot erre VVould heare me plead and with a wretch conferre You Corrasives into my wounds distill And ignorant ' Artists with your physick kill Ah! shame you not to vent such forgeries Seale up your lips and be in silence wise And since you are by farre more fit to heare Then to instruct afford my tongue an eare Oh will you wickedly for God dispute And by deceitfull wayes strive to confute Are you in favour of his person bent Thus to prejudicate the Innocent Need's he an Advocate to plead his Cause To justifie untruth's against his Lawes Can you on him such falsities obtrude And as a Mortall the most wise delude VVill it availe you when he shall remove Your painted vizors will not he reprove And sharply punish if in secret you For favour or reward Injustice doe Shall not his Excellence your Soules affright His Horrors on your heads like Thunder light Your memories to ashes must decay And your fraile bodies are but built of clay Forbeare to speake till my Conceptions shall Discharge their Birth then let what will befall VVhy should I teare my flesh cast of the care Of future life and languish in despaire Though God should kill me I my confidence On him would fixe nor quit my owne defence He shall restore me by his saving might Nor shall the Hypocrite approach his sight Give me your eares Oh you who were my Friends VVhile injur'd Innocence it selfe defends I am prepar'd and wish my Cause were try'd In full assurance to be justifi'd Begin who will accuse should I not speake In such a truth my heart with griefe would breake Just Judge two lets remove that free from dread I may before thy high Tribunall plead Oh let these torments from my flesh depart Nor with thy terrors daunt my trembling heart Then charge so I my life may justifie And to my just complaint doe thou reply What Sinnes are those that so pollute my brest Oh shew how oft I have thy Lawes transgrest Wilt thou thy Servant of thy sight deprive And as an Enemy to Ruine drive Wilt thou a withered leafe to powder grind Tost in the aire by every breath of wind Or with thy Lightning into Ashes turne Such worthlesse Stubble only dry'd to burne Thou hast indited me of bitter Crimes Now punisht for the faults of former times Lo my restrained feet thy fetters wound Watcht with a Guard and rooted in the ground Like rotten fruit I fall worne like a cloth Gnawne into rags by the devouring Moth. Chap. 14 Ah! few and full of Sorrow are the Dayes Of Man from Woman sprung His Life decayes Like that fraile flower which with the Sunnes uprise Her bud unfolds and with the Evening Dies He like an emptie Shadow glides away And all his Life is but a Winters Day Wilt thou thine Eye upon a vapour bend Or with so weake an opposite contend Who can a pure and Christall Current bring From such a muddy and polluted Spring Oh since his Dayes are numbred since thou hast Prescrib'd him bounds that are not to be past A little with his punishment dispence Till he have serv'd his time and part from hence A tree though hewne with axes to the ground Renew's his growth and springs from his greene wound Although his root waxe old his fivers dry Although the saplesse bole begin to dye Yet will at sent of Water freshly sprout And like a plant thrust his young Branches out But Man when once cut downe when his pale ghost Fleets into aire he is for ever lost As Meteors vanish which the Seas exhale As Torrents in the drouth of Summer faile So perisht Man from Death shall never rise But sleepe in silent Shades with seal'd-up Eyes While the Caelestiall Orbes in order roule And turne their flames about the stedfast Pole Oh that thou would'st conceale me in the Grave Immure with marble in that secret Cave Vntill the Tempest of thy wrath were past A time prefix and thinke of me at last Can man recover his departed Breath I will expect untill my change in Death And answer at thy call Thou wilt renew VVhat thou hast ruin'd and my feares subdue But now thou tell'st my Steps mark'st when I erre Nor wilt the vengeance due to Sinne deferre Thou in a Bag hast my Transgressions seal'd And only by their Punishments reveal'd As Mountaines tost by Earth-quakes downe are throwne Rocks torne up by the roots as hardest Stone The softly-falling drops of water weare As Inundations all before them beare And leave the Earth abandoned so shall The aspiring hopes of Man to nothing fall Thy wrath prevailes against him every Day Whom with a changed Face thou send'st away Then knowes not if his Sonnes to honour rise Or struggle with their strong necessities But here his wasting Flesh with anguish burnes And his perturbed Soule within him mournes Chap. 15 Iob paus'd to whom the Themanite replies Can man such follies utter and be wise VVhich bluster from the Tempest of thy mind As if thy breast inclos'd the Easterne wind Wilt thou thy idle rage by Reason prove Or speake those Thoughts which have no power
to move Thou from thy rebell Heart hast God exil'd Kept backe thy Prayers his sacred Truth revil'd Thy Lips declare thy owne impiety Accuse of fraud condemne thee and not I. Art thou the first of Mortals wert thou made Before the Hils their lofty Browes display'd Hath God to thee his Oracles resign'd Is wisedome only to thy Breast confin'd What know'st thou that we know not as compleat In Natures graces in acquir'd as great There are gray heads among us Counsellers To whom thy Father was a Boy in Yeares Slight thou the Comforts we from God impart VVhat greater Secret lurkes in thy proud heart That hurries thee into these extasies VVhat fury flames in thy disdainfull Eyes VVilt thou a warre against thy Maker wage And wound him with thy tongues blasphemous rage VVas ever humane flesh from blemish cleare Can they be guiltlesse whom fraile women beare He trusteth not his Ministers of Light The radiant Stars shine dimnly in his Sight How perfect then is man from head to foot Defil'd with filth and rotten at the root VVho poys'ning sinne with burning thirst devours As parched Earth sucks in the falling showers VVhat I have heard and seene would'st thou intend Thy cure I would unto thy care commend VVhich oft the wise have in my thoughts reviv'd To them from knowing Ancestors deriv'd VVho God-like over happy Nations reign'd And Vertue by suppressing Vice sustein'd Th'Unjust his Dayes in painefull travell spends The Cruell sodainly to Death descends He starts at every sound that strikes his Eare And punishment anticipates by feare VVho from the heigth of all his Glory shall Like newly-kindled Exhalations fall Despaires cold breath his springing hopes confounds VVho feeles th' expected sword before it wounds He begs his bread from doore to doore and knowes The Night drawes on that must his Day inclose Horror and anguish shall his soule affright Daunt like a King that drawes his Troops to fight Since he against the Almighty stretcht his hand And like a rebell spurn'd at his Command God shall upon his seven-fold target rush And his stiffe necke beneath his shoulders crush Though Luxury swell in his shining eyes And his fat belly load his yeilding thighes Though he dismantled Cities fortifie From their deserted ruines rais'd on high Yet his congested wealth shall melt like snow VVhose growth shall never to perfection grow Destruction shall surround him nor shall he His Soule from that darke night of Horror free God with his breath shall all his Branches blast And scorch with lightning by his vengeance cast Will the deluded trust to vanitie And by the stroake of his owne folly die For he shall be cut downe before his time His spreading Branches wither in their prime Lo as a storme which with the Sunne ascends From creeping vines their unripe clusters rends And the fat olive ever greene with Leaves Together of her hopes and flowers bereaves So shall the great Revenger ruinate Him and his Issue by a dreadfull fate Those fooles who fraud with pietie disguise And by corrupting Bribes to Greatnesse rise Their Glories shall in desolation mourne While hungry flames their lofty structures burne With Mischiefe they conceive their bellies great With swelling Vanitie bring forth Deceit Chap. 16 Then Iob How long wilt thou thus vexe mine eares You all are miserable Comforters Shall this vaine wind of words ah never end VVhy Eliphas should'st thou afflict thy Friend VVere you so lost in griefe would I thus speake Such bruised hearts with harshinvectives breake VVould I accumulate your Miseries VVith Scorne and draw new Rivers from your Eyes Oh no my language should your passions calme My words should drop into your wounds like balme But oh my frantick Sorrow finds no ease Complaints nor silence can their pangs appease Thou Lord hast my perplexed Soule deprest Bereft of all the comforts shee possest My Face thus furrowed with untimely age My pale and meagre lookes professe thy rage VVhose Ministers like cunning foes surprise Teare with theirteeth transfix me with their eyes Against my peace combine at once assaile VVith open mouthes and impudently raile God hath deliver'd me into their Jawes VVho hunt for spoile and make their swords their Lawes Long saild I on smooth Seas by fore-winds borne Now bulg'd on rocks and by his Tempests torne He by the Neck hath hal'd in pieces cut And set me as a marke on every Butt His Archers circle me my reines they wound And ruthlesse shed my gall upon the ground Behold he ruines upon ruines heaps And on me like a furious Giant leaps For thus with sackcloth I invest my Woe And dust upon my clouded forehead throw My cheeks are guttered with my fretting teares And on my falling Eye-lids Death appeares Yet is my heart upright my prayers sincere My guiltlesse Life from your aspersions cleare Reveale oh Earth the Blood that I have spilt Nor heare me Heaven if I be soil'd with guilt My conscience knowes her owne Integritie And that all-seeing Power inthron'd on high Yet you traduce me in my Miseries But I to God erect my weeping Eyes Would I before him might my cause defend And argue as a mortall with his friend Since I ere long that precipice must tread VVhence none returne that leads unto the Dead Chap. 17 My spirits are infected and my Tombe Yawnes to devoure mee my last Dayes are come Yet you with bitter scorne my pangs increase Nor ah will suffer me to die in peace VVhat Advocate will take your cause in hand And for you at the high Tribunall stand Since God your erring soules deprives of sense Nor will exalt you in your owne defence His Children shall their dayes in sorrow end VVhose tongue with flattery deludes his Friend I to the vulgar am become a Jest Esteemed as a Minstrell at a Feast My sleeplesse eyes their splendor quench in teares My tortur'd body to a shadow weares This in the Righteous wonder shall excite The Innocent shall hate the Hypocrite He in the path prescrib'd shall boldly goe And his untainted strength shall stronger grow Revoke your wandring Censures nor despise The wretched you who seeme but are not wise My flying houres arrive at their last date My thoughts and fortunes buryed in my fate How soone my shortned Day is chang'd to Night Abortive Darknesse veiles my setting Light Oh can your counsell his despaire deferre VVho now is housed in his Sepulchre I in the shades of death my Bed have made Corruption thou my Father art I said And thou O Worme my Mother by thy Birth My Sister borne and nourished by Earth Where now are all my hopes oh never more Shall they revive nor Death her rapes restore But to the graves infernall prison must With me descend and rot in shrouds of Dust Chap. 18 To whom thus Bildad when wilt thou forbeare To clamor and afford a patient eare Do'st thou as beasts thy ancient friends despise Are we so vile and triviall in thine Eyes Oh miserable Man
behold in me His Misteries Are Sacred and conceal'd from mortall Eyes I therefore tremble at his dreadfull sight Distracted thoughts my troubled Soule affright For oh his terror melts my heart to teares Dissolves my braine and harrowes me with feares Who neither would by Death prevent my woes Nor ease my Soule in these her bitter Throes Chap. 24 Why are the punishments by God decreed To wicked men and their rebellious Seed Since times to come are present in his sight Conceal'd from those who in his Lawes delight Some slily markes remove from bordering Lands Feed on the Flocks they purchase with strange hands The Orphants only Asse they drive away And make the Widowes morgag'd Oxe their prey Who force the frighted poore to turne aside Whom milder Rocks in their darke Cavernes hide Like Asses in the Desert they their Toile With Day renew and rise betimes for Spoile The barren Wildernesse presents them food To feed themselves and their adulterate brood Their Sicklers reape the Corne another sowes They drinke the Blood which from stolne clusters flowes The poore by them disrobed naked Lie Veild with no other covering but the skie Expos'd to stiffning frosts and drenching showers Which thickned Aire from her blacke bosome powres To Torrents which from cloudy Mountaines spring And to the hanging Cliffs for shelter cling They from their mothers Breasts poore Orphants rend Nor without gages to the needy lend For want of clothes they force them starve with cold From hungry Reapers they their sheaves withhold Those faint for thirst who in their vintage toyle And from the juicie Olive presse pure oyle Oppressed Cities grone the wounded cry To Heaven for Vengeance yet in peace they die Others that truth oppose despise the way Of her prescriptions and in Darknesse stray Sterne Murtherers that rise before the light To kill the Innocent and rob at night Vncleane Adulterers whose longing Eyes VVaite for the twy-light enter in disguise And say who sees us Theeves who daily marke Those Houses which they plunder in the Darke These Strangers are to light the Morning Rayes By them are hated as their last of Dayes The Agonies of Death are on them when They are but knowne or spoken of by Men And yet they perish by Jehova's Curse And faile like roaring floods that have no Sourse Vnlike the generous Vine which cut abounds With budding Jems and prospers in her wounds As scorching heat the mountaine snow devours As thirsty Earth drinks up the falling Showres Even so the Graves insatiable Jawes Those Rebels swallow who infringe his Lawes The Wombs that bare their Burthens shall forget And greedy wormes their flesh with pleasure eate No tongue or Pen shall mention their Renowne But lye like trees by sodaine Stormes cast downe The barren they more miserable make And from the Widow all her Comfort take The Mighty fall in their seditious strife When once they rise who can secure his life Though they be resolute and confident Yet are Jehova's eyes upon them bent But oh how short their glory rais'd to fall Lost in the Ashes of their funerall For they as others die like Eares of Corne By lightning blasted or with sickles shorne Who doubts these contraries who will dispute Against me and my Instances confute Chap. 25 SHVETIAN BILDAD made this short reply Dominion and awefull Majestie To him belong who crown'd with sacred Rayes The Host of Heaven in perfect concord swayes VVho can his Armies number infinite And full of Fate on whom shines not his light Can Mortals righteous in his Eyes appeare Can they be spotlesse whom fraile women beare To him the radiant Sunne is but obscure The Moone still in Eclipse the Stars impure VVhat then is Man polluted in his Birth An uncleane Worme that crawles upon the Earth Chap. 26 All tongues said Iob of thy perfections speake Thou he that renders vigor to the weake Thy strength the feeble Arme with Nerves supplies Thou by thy Counsell makes the foolish wise No secret from thy Knowledge is conceal'd Caelestiall Oracles by thee reveal'd To whom art thou so prodigall of breath Or by what vertue do'st thou raise from Death Gods Workes Oh Bildad we admire no lesse His prudence in their Government confesse Dead things within the Deepe were form'd by him And all that in the curled Ocean swim The silent vaults of Death unknowne to Light And Hell it selfe lye naked to his sight He fashion'd those Harmonious Orbs that roule In restlesse Gyres about the Artick Pole The massie Earth supported by his Care On nothing hangs in soft and fluent Aire He in thicke Clouds the pendant water binds Not thaw'd with heat nor torne with strugling winds Before his radiant Throne like Curtaines spred Yet at his becke in showres their substance shed With constant bounds the raging floods confines Till Day his Throne to endlesse Night resignes Heavens Columns when his Stormes and Thunder rake The troubled Aire with sodaine Horror shake Lo at his Breath the swelling waves divide His awefull Scepter calmes their vanquish't pride Whose hand the adorned Firmament displai'd Those Serpentine yet constant Motions made These but in part his power and wisedome show For Oh how little doe we Mortals know Although his Fame resound through all the world Like Thunder from aëriall vapors hurl'd Chap. 27 They silenc't Iob proceeds in his Defence As the Lord Lives who knowes my Innocence Yet will not judge but hath my Soule depriv'd Of all her Joyes to Misery long-liv'd VVhile these my vitall Spirits shall receive The food of Aire and through my Nostrils breath No falsehood shall defile my Lips with Lies Or with a vaile the face of Truth disguise Nor will I wound my cleare Integritie By yeilding to your wrongs but rather die Shall I my selfe betray my Strength refuse Desert my Justice and my truth accuse First may I sinke by Torments yet unknowne That those which now I suffer may seeme none Let such as hate me in their Sinnes rejoyce And surfeit with the pleasant Baites of Vice What hope hath the prevailing Hypocrite When God shall chase his Soule to endlesse Night Will God relieve him in his Agonies Or from the Depth of Sorrow heare his Cries Will he in God delight his aide implore Incessantly and his great Name adore Oh be instructed by these Characters Of his impression which my Body beares I his more secret Judgements will disclose Which you have seene yet desperately oppose This is the Portion which the wicked hath He shall inherit the Almighties wrath The lawlesse Sword his Childrens blood shall shed Increast for slaughter borne to begge their bread Death shall the Remnant in his Dungeon keepe No Widow at his funerall shall weepe Although he gather Gold like heaps of Dust The fuell of his Luxury and Lust His Cabinets with change of Garments fraught By silke-wormes spun and Phrygian Needles wrought Yet for the Just reserv'd who shall divide His Treasure and divest him of his pride Though he his
dreadfull breach With equall fury they upon me roule Even to the desolation of my soule Besieging Terrors storme-like roare aloud Pursue and chase me like an emptie Cloud O how my soule is powr'd upon the ground Full growne Affliction hath a subject found Torments by Night my wasted marrow boyle My Pulses labour with unequall toyle My soares pollute my garments Plagues infest My poysoned skin and like a Coat invest O I am Dust and Ashes Lord thou hast Downe in the durt the broken-hearted cast Thy eares the incense of my prayers reject No teares nor vowes can alter thy neglect Ah! hast thou lost thy mercy Wilt thou fight Against a worme and in his groanes delight Thou setst me on the winds with every blast Tost too and fro while I to nothing wast I see my Death approach I to the wombe Of earth am cal'd of all the generall Tomb. Thou never wilt the Dead to Life restore Though heere in Sorrow they thy grace implore How oft have I for those that suffer'd wept Afflicted for the poore when others slept Yet when I lookt for joy for cheerefull light Then griefe fell on and shades more blacke than night My tortur'd Bowels found no hower of rest By troopes of sodaine miseries opprest Unknowne to Day I mourn'd my clamors tare The eares soft Labyrinth and cleft the Aire The hissing Dragon and the screeching Owle Became Companions to my pensive Soule My flesh is cover'd with a vaile of jet And all my Bones consume with burning heat My Harp her mournfull Straines in Sorrow steep's My Organ sighes sad aires as one that weepes Chap. 31 I with my Eyes a Covenant made that they Should not my Soule nor she their lights betray To the deceit of sin why then should I Behold a Virgin with a burning eye What Judgements are reserv'd what Vengeance due To those who their intemperate Lusts pursue Destruction and eternall Ruine shall From Heaven like lightning on the wicked fall Do not his searching Eyes my wayes behold Are not my steps by him observ'd and told If tempting Sinne could ever yet entice My feet to wander in the Quest of Vice Let that great Arbiter of Wrong and Right Waigh in his Scales and cast me if to light If I from vertues path have stept awry Or let my heart be govern'd by mine eye If I oh Justice have thy Rites profan'd If bribes or guiltlesse blood my hands have stain'd Then let another reape what I have sowne Nor let my Race be to the Living knowne If ever woman could to sinne allure If I have waited at my Neighbours doore Let my laicivious wife with others grin'd And by her lust repay my guilt in kind This were a hainous crime so foule a fact As would due vengeance from the Judge exact A wasting fire which violently burnes And all to povertie and ruine turnes If I by Power my Servants should oppresse Nor would their crying Grievances redresse What should I doe or say when God shall come To judge the world that might divert his Doome Both made he in the wombe of equall worth Though to unequall Destiny brought forth If from the poore I did their hopes detaine Or made the widowes Eyes expect in vaine If I alone have at my Table fed Or from the fatherlesse withheld my bread Nor fosterd from my youth their wants supplide To him a father and to her a guide If I have seene the naked starve for cold While Avarice my Charitie controld If their cloth'd Loines have not my bounty blest Warme with the fleeces which my flocks divest If I my armes have rais'd to crush the weake The Judge prepar'd the witnesse taught to speake Be all their ligaments at once unbound And their disjoynted bones to powder grownd Divine Revenge my Soule from sinne deterr'd For I the anger of th' Almighty fear'd I never Idolized Gold embrac'd Nor said In thee my Confidence is plac'd Nor on decitfull Riches fixt my heart Together scrap'd by no omitted Art If when I saw the early Sunne ascend Or the new Moone her silver hornes extend I bowing kist my hand those Lights ador'd As Deities and their releife implor'd The Sinne had beene flagitious and had cry'd To him for vengeance whom my Deed 's defi'd Have I with joy beheld my ruin'd foe Have I exulted in his overthrow Or in the tempest of my passion burst Into offences and his Issue curst Though my Domesticks said oh let us teare His hated flesh nor after death forbeare Who made the Stones their bed or sigh'd for food If knowne my house to strangers open stood Suppose I were corrupt and foule within Yet to what end should I disguise my Sinne Need I so much contempt or censure dread As not to speake my thoughts or hide my head Where shall I meet with an indifferent Eare Oh that the Soveraigne Judge my Cause would heare Peruse the Adversaries evidence Try and determine my suppos'd offence I on my shoulders their complaints would beare And as a Diadem their Slanders weare More like a Prince then a Delinquent would Approach his presence and my life unfold If the usurped Fields against me cry Their ravisht Furrowes weepe if ever I Have forced from them their unpaid for Graine Their Husbandmen and ancient Owners slaine For wheat let thistles from their clods ascend For barley cockle Iobs complaints here end Chap. 32 Nor would his Friends proceed in their replyes Since he appear'd so pure in his owne Eyes When Elihu Barachels sonne who drew His Birth from Aram much incensed grew Not only against Iob that durst defend His Innocency and with God contend But with his three austere Companions since They would condemne before they could convince When he perceiv'd the rest no answer made But like dumb Statues sate the Buzite said Till now I durst not venture to unfold My labouring thoughts to you that are so old For gray Experience is with wisedome fraught And sacred knowledge by the aged taught Yet oh how darke is mans presuming sence Not lightned with caelestiall Influence The great in Honor are not alwayes wise Nor Judgement under silver Tresses lies Since so at length vouchsafe to heare a youth And his opinion in the search of Truth For I your words have weigh'd your reasons heard The Instances by each of you inferr'd And yet in all the heate of your dispute Not one could answer Iob much lesse confute Know therefore least too rashly you conclude It is not Man but God that hath subdu'd Against me Iob did not his speech direct No more will I your Arguments object You all were at his Confidence amaz'd And silently upon each other gaz'd VVhen I your answers had expected long Nor could discerne the motion of a tongue I said behold I now will act my part And utter the Conceptions of my heart My Soule is rapt with fury and my brest Containes a flame that will not be supprest My Bowels boyle like wine that hath
with what 's Divine Like Art and Paintings laid upon a Face Of it selfe sweet which more Deforme then Grace Yet as the Church with Ornaments is Fraught Why may not That be too which There is Taught And sure that Vessell of Election Paul Who Iudais'd with Iewes was All to All So to Gaine some would be at least Content Some for the Curious should be Eloquent For since the Way to Heaven is Rugged who Would have the Way to that Way be so too Or thinks it fit we should not leave obtaine To learne with Pleasure what we Act with Paine Since then Some stop unlesse their Path be Even Nor will be led by Soloecismes to Heaven And through a Habit scarce to be control'd Refuse a Cordial when not brought in Gold Much like to them to that Disease Inur'd Which can be no way but by Musick cur'd I Ioy in Hope that no small Piety Will in their Colder Hearts be Warm'd by Thee For as none could more Harmony dispense So neither could thy flowing Eloquence So well in any Task be us'd as this To Sound His Praises forth whose Gift it is Cui non certaverit ullae Aut tantum fluere aut totidem dur are per annos FALKLAND An Ode to my worthy Kinsman Mr. George Sandys upon his excellent Paraphrase on the Psalmes O Breath againe that holy Lay Did convay Vnto my soule so sweet a Fire I desire That all my Senses charm'd to Eare Should fix there O might this sacred Anthem last Till Time's past Vntill we warble forth a higher In the Quire Of Angels till the Spheares keepe time To your Rime Amphion did a Citie raise By his Layes The Stones did dance into a Wall At his call But your divinely-tuned Aire Doth repaire Ev'n Man himselfe whose stony Heart By this Art Rebuildeth of its owne accord To the Lord A Temple breathing holy Songs In strange Tongues You fit both Davids Lyre and Notes To our Throats See the greene Willow now not weares Of their Teares The sadly silent Trophyes we From the Tree Take downe the Hebrew Harps and reach In our speech What ever we doe hate what feare What love deare Now in faint Accents praising God For his Rod Since that his punishing a Child Must be stil'd A Blessing But our thankfull Layes Doe his Praise Sound in the loudest Key when e're He drawes neare In Mercy not affrighting Power In that Houre New Life approacheth Then our Ioy Doth employ Each Facultie and Tune each Aire To a Prayre But by and by our Sins doe cause A sad Pause Our Hands lift-up and cast-downe Eyes Our faint Cryes Doe in their sadly-pleasing Tones Speake our Mones In stead of Harps we strike our Brests All the Rests Attend this Musicke are a Teare Which Sighes beare In their soft Language up on high To the Skie Whence God delighted with our Griefe Sends Reliefe Thus unto You we owe the Ioyes The Sweet Noise Of our ravisht Soules we borrow Hence our Sorrow Repentant Sorrow which doth glad Not make sad We weepe in your Lines we rejoyce In your Voyce Whose pleasing Language fanns the Fire Of Desire Which flames in Zeale and calmly fashions All our Passions Which you so sweetly have exprest Some have guest We Hallelu-jahs shall reherse In your Verse Then be secure your well-tun'd Breath Shall now out-live the Date of Death And when Fate pleases you shall have Still-Musick in the silent Grave You from Above shall heare each day One Dirge dispatcht unto your Clay These your owne Anthemes shall become Your lasting Epicedium Dudly Digges To the Reader THe Paraphrase upon the Psalmes though here ranck't according to the Chronology was first writ and published and therefore these verses doe in time precede those that are fixt in the Front of the Volume A PARAPHRASE VPON THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE PSALMES OF DAVID PSALME 1. BASS CANT THat man is truely blest who never strayes By false advice nor walks in Sinners wayes Nor sits infected with their scornefull pride VVho God contemne and Pietie deride But wholly fixeth his sincere delight On heavenly Lawes those studies day and night He shall be like a Tree that spreads his root By living streames producing timely fruit His leafe shall never fall the Lord shall blesse All his indeavours with desir'd successe Men lost in Sinne unlike rewards shall find Disperst like chaffe before the furious wind Their guilt shall not that horrid Day indure Nor they approach th' Assemblies of the Pure For God approves those wayes the Righteous tread But sinfull Paths to sure destruction leade PSALME II. BASS CANT HOwe are the Gentiles all on fire Why rage they with vaine menacings Earths haughtie Potentates and Kings ' Gainst God against his Christ conspire Breake we say they their servile bands And cast their cords from our free hands But God from his coelestiall Throne Shall laugh and their attempts deride Then high incenst thus checke their pride His Wrath in their confusion showne Loe I my King have crown'd and will Inthrone on Sions sacred Hill That great Decree I shall declare For thus I heard Iehovah say Thou art my Sonne begot this day Request and I will grant thy praier Subject all Nations to thy Throne And make the Sea-bound Earth thine owne Thou shalt an Iron Scepter sway Like earthen vessels breake their bones Be wise O you who sit on Thrones And Iudges grave advice obey With joyfull Feare O serve the Lord With trembling Joy embrace his Word In due of Homage kisse the Sonne Lest He his wrathfull lookes display And so you perish in the way His anger newly but begunne Then blessed onely are the Just Who on th' Anointed fixe their trust PSALME III. CANT BASS MY God how are my foes increast What multitudes against me rise Who say Give we his Soule no rest Whom God forsakes and Men despise But thou art my Support my Tower My Safetie my choise Ornament Before thy Throne my Prayers I powre Heard from thy Sions high ascent No feares affright my soft repose Thou my Night-watch my Guard by day Not Myriads of armed Foes Nor Treasons secret hands dismay Arise ô vindicte my Cause My Foes whom wicked Hate provoke Thou Lord hast smit their cancred jawes And all their teeth asunder broke Thou Lord the onely Hope of those Who thee with holy Zeale adore Whose all-protecting Armes inclose Their Safetie who thy Aid implore PSALME IV. CANT BASS THou Guardian of my truth and me That from these straits hast set me free O heare my prayer Be I thy care For mercie lives in thee You sonnes of men how long will you Eclipse my glory and pursue Lov'd vanities Delight in lies To Man to God untrue Know God my innocence hath blest And will with soveraigntie invest His gentle eare Prepar'd to heare My never vaine request Sinne not but feare surcease and try Your hearts as on your beds you lie Pure gifts present With pure intent And
place your hopes on high But earthly Mindes false wealth admire And toyle with uncontrol'd desire With cleare aspect Thy beames reflect And heavenly thoughts inspire O let my joy exempt from feares Their joyes transcend when Autumne beares His pleasant wines On clustred vines And graine-replenisht eares Now shall the peacefull hand of Sleep In heavenly Deaw my senses steep Whom thy large wings O King of Kings In shades of safety keep PSALME V. CANT BASS TO heare me Lord be thou inclin'd My thoughts O ponder in thy minde And let my cryes acceptance finde Thou hear'st my morning Sacrifice To thee before the Day-star rise My prayers ascend with stedfast eyes Thou lov'st no vice none dwells with thee Nor glorious Fooles thy Beautie see All sinne-defil'd detested bee Liars shall sinke beneath thy hate Who thirst for blood and weave deceit Thy Rage shall swiftly ruinate I to thy Temple will repayre Since infinite thy Mercies are And thee adore with Feare and Praier My God conduct me by thy Grace For many have my Soule in chase Set thy strait Paths before my face False are their tongues their hearts are hollow Like gaping Sepulchres they swallow Fawne and betray even those they follow With vengeance girt these Rebels round In their owne counsels them confound Since their Transgressions thus abound Joy they with an exalted voice That trust in thee who guard'st thy Choice Let those who love thy Name rejoyce Thy blessings shall in showers descend Thy favour as a shield defend All those who Righteousnesse intend PSALME VI. As the 3. LOrd thy deserved Wrath asswage Nor punish in thy burniug Ire Let Mercie mitigate thy Rage Before my fainting life expire O heale my bones with anguish ake My pensive heart with sorrow worne How long wilt thou my soule forsake O pitie and at length returne O let thy Mercies comfort me And thy afflicted Servant save Who will in death remember thee Or praise thee in the silent Grave Vext by insulting enemies My groanes disturbe the peacefull Night My bed washt with my streaming eyes Through griefe growne old and dim of sight All you of wicked life depart The Lord my God hath heard my cry He will recure my wounded heart And turne my teares to tides of joy Who hate me let dishonour wound Let feare their guiltie soules affright With shame their haughtie lookes confound And let them vanish from my sight PSALME VII CANT BASS O Thou that art my Confidence And strong Defence From those who my sad fall intend Great God defend Lest Lion-like if none controule They teare my persecuted Soule If I am guiltie if there be Deceit in me If ill I ever to my friend Did but intend Or rather have not succour'd those Who were my undeserved foes Let them my stained Soule pursue With hate subdue Let their proud feet in Triumph tread Upon my head My life out of her mansion thrust And lay my Honour in the dust Against my dreadfull Enemies Great God arise Just Judge thy sleeping Wrath awake And vengeance take Then all shall Thee adore alone O King of Kings ascend thy Throne Part. 2 Judge thou my foes as I am free So judge thou me Declare thou my integritie For thou do'st trie The heart and reines the Just defend The malice of the Wicked end God is my shield he helpe imparts To sincere hearts The good protects but menaceth The bad with death Nor will unlesse they change relent He whets his sword his bow is bent Dire instruments prepared hath Of deadly wrath And will at those who persecute swift arrowes shoot Who wicked thoughts conceiv'd now great With Mischiefe travell hatch Deceit Who digg'd a pit first fell therein Caught by his sinne On his owne head his outrage shall Like ruines fall But I O thou eternall King VVill of thy Truth and Justice sing PSALME VIII CANT BASS LOrd how illustrious is thy Name VVhose Power both Heav'n Earth proclame Thy Glory thou hast set on high Above the Marble-arched Skie The wonders of thy Power thou hast In mouthes of babes and sucklings plac't That so thou might'st thy foes confound And who in malice most abound When I pure Heaven thy fabricke see The Moone and Starres dispos'd by thee O what is Man or his fraile Race That thou shouldst such a Shadow grace Next to thy Angels most renown'd With Majestie and Glory crown'd The King of all thy Creatures made That all beneath his feet hast laid All that on Dales or Mountaines feed That shady Woods or Deserts breed What in the aierie Region glide Or through the rowling Ocean slide Lord how illustrious is thy Name Whose Power both Heaven and Earth proclame PSALME IX CANT BASS THee will I praise with Heart and Voice Thy wondrous Workes aloud resound In thee O Lord will I rejoyce Thy Name with zealous praises crown'd My Foes fell by inglorious flight Before thy terrible Aspect Thy powerfull Hands support my Right Thou Judgement justly dost direct The proud are falne the Heathen flie Oblivion shall their names intombe Destruction O thou Enemie Hath now receiv'd a finall doome Thou Townes and Cities hast destroy'd Their memorie with them decayes But God for ever shall abide And high his Throne of Justice raise A righteous Scepter shall extend And Judgement distribute to all He will oppressed Soules defend That in the time of Trouble call Who know thy Name in thee will trust Part. 2 Thou never wilt forsake thine Owne Praise Sions King O praise the Just And make his noble Actions knowne Bloud scapes not his revenging hand He vindicates the Poore mans Cause Lord my insulting Foes withstand And draw me from Deaths greedy Jawes That I may in the Royall Gate Of Sions Daughter raise my Voice Thy ample Praises celebrate And in thy saving health rejoyce They falne into the Pit they made Are caught in Nets themselves prepar'd The Lord his Judgements hath displayd The Wicked in their workes insnar'd The Wicked downe to Hell shall sinke And all that doe the Lord disdaine But God will on the Needy thinke Nor shall the Poore expect in vaine Lord let not Man prevaile arise Th' Insulting Heathen judge O then Let trembling Feare their heart surprize That they may know they are but Men. PSALME X. CANT BASS VVIthdraw not O my God my guid In time of trouble dost thou hide Thy cheerfull face Who want thy Grace The poore pursue with cruell pride O be they by their owne Inventions overthrowne The wicked boast of their successe The covetous profanely blesse By thee O Lord So much abhorr'd Their pride will not thy power confesse Nor have thy favour sought Or had of thee a thought They in oppression take delight Thy Judgements farre above their sight Their enemies Scoffe and despise Who say in heart No opposite Can us remove nor shall Our greatnesse ever fall Their mouths detested curses fill Fraud mischiefe ever prone to ill In secret they Lurke to betray The Innocent in
corners kill His eyes with fierce intent Upon the poore are bent Part. 2 He like a Lion in his den Awaits to catch oppressed men Who unaware Light in his snare His couched limbs contracts that then with all his strength he may Rush on his wretched prey His heart hath said God hath forgot He hides his face he mindes it not Arise O Lord Draw thy just sword Nor out of thy remembrance blot The poore and desolate O shield them from his hate Why should the wicked God despise And say he lookes with carelesse eyes Their well seene spight Thou shalt requite The poore O Lord on Thee relies Thou help'st the fatherlesse Whom cruell men oppresse Asunder breake the armes of those VVho ill affect and good oppose Their crimes explore Untill no more Lurke in their bosomes to disclose Eternall King thy Hand Hath chac'd them from thy Land Lord thou hast heard thy Servants prayer Thou wilt their humble hearts prepare Thy gracious Eare Inclin'd to heare The Fatherlesse and worne with care Judge thou that Mortalls may No more with outrage sway PSALME XI As the 9. MY God on Thee my hopes relie VVhy say they to my troubled Soule Arise up to your Mountaine flie Flie quickely like a chaced Foule For loe the wicked bend their bowes Their arrowes fitt with secret Art That closely they may shoot at those VVho are upright and pure in heart If their foundation be destroy'd VVhat can the Righteous build upon God in his Temple doth abide Heaven is the great Jehovah's Throne His Eyes behold his Eye-lids trie The Sonnes of men allowes the best But such as joy in crueltie The Lord doth from his Soule detest Snares horrid Tempest Brimstone Fire Their portion on their heads shall light Th'intirely Just affects th' Intire For ever precious in his sight PSALME XII HElpe Lord for Godly men decay From Mortalls Faith enforced flies And with their sins Companions they Talke of affected Vanities Their flattering Tongues abound with Lies Their double Hearts bent to betray God shall those flattering Lips confound And Tongues which swell with proud Disdaine Whose boastings arrogantly sound Our Tongues the conquest shall obtaine They are our owne who shall restraine Or to our Wills prescribe a bound But forth ' Oppression of the Poore And VVretches sighes which pierce the Skies VVho pitie at his Throne implore The Lord hath said I will arise And from their Foes who them despise Deliver all that me adore Gods Vvord is pure as pure as Gold In melting Furnace seven times try'd His Armes for ever shall infold All those who in his truth abide The wicked range on every side VVhen vitious men the Scepter hold PSALME XIII CANT BASS HOw long Lord let me not For ever be forgot How long my God wilt thou Contract thy clouded brow How long in mind perplext Shall I be daily vext How long shall he controll Who persecutes my soule Consider heare my cries Illuminate mine eyes Lest with exhausted breath I ever sleepe in Death Lest my insulting Foe Boast in my overthrow And those who would destroy In my subversion joy But I Thou ever Just Will in thy Mercie trust And in thy saving Grace My constant Comfort place My Songs shall sing thy Praise That hast prolong'd my Dayes PSALME XIIII CANT BASS THe foole hath said in his false heart God cares not what to Man succeeds Abominable are their deeds All ill affect from Good depart Jehovah Mans rebellious Race Beheld from his celestiall Throne To see if there were any one That understood or sought his Face All from forsaken Truth are flowne Corrupt in Bodie such in Soule Defil'd within without as foule None Good indeavours no not One. Are all that worke Iniquitie By Ignorance so blindly led My People they devoure like Bread Nor call on him who sits on high Their Consciences with terrour quake Since God doth with the Just abide For Poore mens Counsels they deride VVho him for their Protection take O that unto thy Israel Salvation might from Sion Spring When God shall us from Bondage bring No joy shall Jacobs joy excell PSALME XV. CANT BASS VVHo shall in thy Tent abide On thy Holy Hill reside He that 's Just and Innocent Tells the truth of his intent Slanders none with venom'd Tongue Feares to doe his Neighbour wrong Fosters not base Infamies Vice beholds with scornefull Eyes Honours those who feare the Lord Keepes though to his losse his Word Takes no Bribes for wicked ends Nor to Use his Money lends Who by these directions guide Their pure steps shall never slide PSALME XVI As the 8. PReserve me my undoubted Aid To whom thou O my Soule hast said Thou art my God no good in me Nor Merit can extend to Thee But to thy blessed Saints that dwell On Earth whose Graces most excell Those ravish me with pure delight Their sorrowes shall be infinite Who other Gods with gifts adore Their bloudie Offerings I abhorre Nor shall their Names my Lips profane But God my Lot will still maintaine He is my Portion he bestowes The Cup that with his Bountie flowes I have a pleasant Seat obtain'd A faire and large Possession gain'd The Lord will I for ever praise Whose Counsels have inform'd my VVayes And my inflamed Zeale excite To serve him in the silent Night He is my Object by his Hand Confirm'd immoveable I stand Joy hath my Heart and Tongue possest My Flesh in constant Hope shall rest Thou wilt not leave my Soule alone In Hell nor let thy Holy One Corruption see but that High-way To Everlasting Life display Thy Presence yeelds intire delight At thy Right hand Joyes infinite PSALME XVII As the 31. LOrd grant my just Request O heare my crie And Pray'rs that lips untoucht with guile unfold My Cause before thy High Tribunall try And let thine Eyes my Righteoussnesse behold Thou prov'st my Heart even in the Nights recesse Like mettall try'st me yet no Drosse hast found I am resolv'd my Tongue shall not transgresse But on thy Word will all my Actions ground So shall I from the Paths of Tyrants flie O lest I slip direct my Steps by Thine I Thee invoke for thou wilt heare my Crie Thine Eare to my afflicted Voice incline O shew thy wondrous Love Thou from their Foes Preservest all that on thy Ayd depend Lord as the Apple of the Eye inclose And over me thy shadie Wings extend Part 2 For Impious men and such as deadly hate My guiltlesse Soule have compast me about Who swell with Pride inclos'd with their owne fat And words of contumely thunder out Our traced steps intrap as in a Toile Low-couched on the Earth with flaming Eyes Like famisht Lions eager of their Spoile Or Lions Whelpes close lurking to surprise Arise prevent him from his Glory hurl'd My pensive Soule from the Devourer save From Men which are thy scourge Men of the World VVho in this Life alone their Portion have Fill'd with thy secret Treasure
all the Earth shall sway VVhile the cleere Sunne directs the Day My Song shall celebrate thy Name And to the world divulge thy Fame PSALME XLVI CANT BASS GOd is our Refuge our strong Tower Securing by his mightie Power VVhen Dangers threaten to devoure Thus arm'd no feares shall chill our blood Though Earth no longer stedfast stood And shooke her Hills into to the flood Although the troubled Ocean rise In foaming billowes to the Skies And Mountaines shake with horrid noise Cleare streames purle from a Crystall Spring Which gladnesse to Gods City bring The Mansion of th' eternall King He in her Centre takes his place What Foe can her faire Towers deface Protected by his early Grace Tumultuary Nations rose And armed Troops our walls inclose But his fear'd Voice unnerv'd our Foes The Lord of Hosts is on our side The God by Jacob magnifi'd Our Strength on whom we have reli'd Come see the wonders he hath wrought Who hath to desolation brought Those Kingdomes which our ruine sought He makes destructive Warre surcease The Earth deflowr'd of her Increase Restores with universall Peace He breaks their Bowes unarmes their Quivers The bloody Speare in pieces shivers Their Chariots to the Flame delivers Forbeare and know that I the Lord Will by all Nations be ador'd Prais'd with unanimous accord The Lord of Hosts is on our side The God by Jacob magnifi'd Our Strength on whom we have reli'd PSALME XLVII CANT BASS LEt all in sweet accord Clap Hands their Voices raise In Honour of the Lord And loudly sing his praise VVho From above Dire Lightning flings The King of Kings Of all that move VVhole Nations of our Foes Beneath our Feet hath throwne A faire Possession chose For us that are his Owne The dignitie Of Israel Belov'd so well By the most High In Triumph God ascends VVith Trumpet shrill and Shalmes Praise him who his defends O praise our King with Psalmes For God is King Of all the Earth With sacred Mirth His Praises sing God o're the Heathen reignes Sits on his holy Throne All whom the Earth sustaines Shall worship him alone His Shield extends In their Defence His Excellence All height transcends PSALME XLVIII As the 8. THe Lord is most Majesticall Most highly to be prais'd by all Within the Citie of our God And Mansion blest by his abode Faire Sion hath a pleasant Site Of Earth the Beautie and Delight Upon the North-side bordering The Citie of the Mightie King God dwels within her loftie Towers Secur'd from all assailing Powers Conspiring Kings her ruine sought Who armed Troupes before her brought Part. 2 At once they saw admir'd and fled Their hearts surpriz'd with sudden Dread Such feare such pangs possest our foes As women suffer in their Throwes At thy command blacke Eurus rores And spreads his wracks on Tharsian shores VVe what we heard our Fathers tell Have seene who in this Citie dwell The Citie of our God which Hee Shall ever from destruction free Thy Favours Lord with Thankfulnesse VVe in thy Temple still professe As is thy Name thou God of Might So are thy Praises infinite And stretch to Earths remotest Bound Thy Hand for Justice farre renown'd O Sion Judah's Diadem You Daughters of Jerusalem Unite your Joyes and glory in His Judgement which your eyes have seene Goe walke the Round of Sion tell Her Towers observe her Bulwarks well On her faire Buildings cast thine eye Declare it to Posteritie For God will still our God remaine And us unto our Last sustaine PSALME XLIX As the 1. ALL you who dwell upon the foodfull Earth Both Rich and Poore of base and noble birth Attend my Tongue deep wisdome shall impart And knowledge from the fountaine of my heart I unto light darke Parables will bring And to my solemne Harpe Aenigmaes sing In Misery and Age why should I feare When Sin pursues my steps and Death draws neare O you who Riches as your God adore And glory in your scarce possessed Store VVho can redeeme his Brother for one Day Or to the Lord his high-pris'd Ransome pay For O not all the Gold which Streames conceale Or Hils inclose can banisht Life repeale That he might live unto Eternity Nor in the Earths corrupting Entrailes lye They see the Wise and Fooles to Death descend While others their congested treasures spend Yet hoping to perpetuate their fame Proud Structures raise and call them by their Name Part 2 But Man in honour is a Vanitie That fleets away and as a Beast must die In this vaine course they circularly move And their Posterity their words approve Death shall as Sheep devour them in the Dust Till that great Day subject them to the Just Their Strength and Beauty shall to nothing wast All naked from their sumptuous Houses cast But God shall from the greedy Sepulchre My Soule redeeme and to his Joyes preferre Despaire not when a man growes Opulent And that the Glories of his House augment For with his thread of Life his Riches end Nor shall his Honours with his Soule descend Though here he live in luxury and ease And those are prais'd who their owne Genius please Yet as his Fathers he shall set in Night Nor ever rise to see the cheerfull Light Man high in honour whose ignoble brest No knowledge holds shall perish like a beast PSALME L. As the 1. THE God of Gods Jehovah shall convent All from the Orient to the Suns descent From Sions Towers of Beauty the Divine And full Perfection shall his Glory shine Nor silent comes devouring flames before And round about him horrid Tempests rore The righteous Judge to judge his People shall High Heaven and conscious Earth to witnesse call Assemble all my Saints who with one mind My Testaments with Sacrifice have sign'd Then thundring Skies shall make his Justice knowne When he our God ascends his Judgements Throne My People heare Thy God O Israel Will thee convince and thy Transgressions tell I blame not thy unfrequent Sacrifice Nor fumes which rarely from my Altars rise I from thy Stall will take no well-fed Steere Nor from thy Folds a Male-goat of that yeare For all are Mine that Woods or Deserts breed And Herds which on a thousand mountaines feed I know all Fowle which Hils or Valleys yield And number all the Cattell of the Field Part. 2 Will I if hungry unto Thee complaine When all is Mine which Sea and Land containe Will I eat flesh of Bulls or canst thou thinke That I the blood of shaggy Goats will drinke A thankfull heart upon my Altar lay And righteous Vowes to high Jehovah pay Then call on me in trouble I will raise Thy Soule from Death and thou my Name shalt praise But O thou Hypocrite Dar'st thou explaine My Law My Covenants with thy lips prophane That scorn'st instruction dost my Word despise Consent'st with Theeves and hast adulterous eyes Deceit and slander tip thy impious tongue Thy brother woundst with Infamy and Wrong Thus didst thou
staine In Innocence have cleans'd my hands in vaine That thus with daily punishments am worne And still chastised with the rising Morne Part. 2 If I gave words unto such thoughts as these I should th'assemblies of thy Saints displease For then what were it to be just or good My Soule this secret never understood Till I into thy Sanctuarie came And there beheld their honour end in Shame Thou hast on slippery hights their greatnesse plac'd Downe Head-long from their Noone of glory cast How are they unto Desolation brought Consumed in the moment of a thought Such as a pleasant dreame when Sleepe forsakes Our flattered sense so when thy Wrath awakes Thou in thy dreadfull furie shalt destroy Their emptie and Imaginary joy These former thoughts did my weake Soule molest So ignorant so vaine so like a beast Yet I by thy Divine supportance stand Thou heldst me up by thy Almightie hand Thou by thy counsell shalt direct my waies And after to eternall Glorie raise For whom have I but Thee in Heaven above Or what on Earth can my Affections move My Thoughts and flesh are fraile yet Lord thou art My Portion and the Vigour of my Heart Who thee abandon shall to Death descend And they whose knees to cursed Idols bend I as my dutie will to God repaire On Him relie and his great Acts declare PSALME LXXIV As the 14. LORD why hast Thou abandoned O why for ever shall thine Ire Consume like a devouring Fire The Sheepe which in thy pastures fed O thinke of those who were thy owne By Thee of old from bondage brought Th' Inheritance which thou hast bought And Sion thy affected Throne Come O come quickly and survey VVhat spoile the barbarous Foe hath made Lo all in heaps of ruines laid Thy Temple their accursed prey Like Lions with sharpe Famine whet They in thy Sanctuarie roare All purple in thy Peoples gore And there their conquering Ensignes set It was esteem'd a great renowne With Axe to square the Mountaine Okes Now they demolish with their strokes And hew the carved Fabricke downe Who lo with all-infolding flame The beautie of the Earth devoure Profanely prostrate on the floore That Temple sacred to thy Name Now said they with a sudden hand Give we a generall End to all By Fire the holy structures fall Through this depopulated Land Part. 2 No Miracles amaze our Foes There are no Prophets to divine That might our miseries decline None know the period of our woes Ah! how long shall our Enemies Exult and glory in our shame How long shall they Blaspheme thy Name Great God and thy slow Wrath despise Thy Hand out of thy Bosome draw Nor longer thy Revenge with-hold My God thou wast our King The old Amazed World thy Wonders saw Thou struck'st the Erythraean waves VVhen Seas from Seas in tumult fled Brak'st the Aegyptian Dragons head And mad'st the joyning Flouds their Graves That great Leviathan of Nile To Beasts and Serpents which possesse The drie and foodlesse VVildernesse By Thee delivered for a Spoile Thou clav'st the Rock from whose greene wound The thirst expelling Fountaine brake Thou mad'st the heady Streames forsake Their Chanels and become dry ground Part. 3 The cheerfull Day Night cloth'd in shade The Moon and radiant Sun are Thine Thy Bounds the swelling Seas confine Summer and VVinter by Thee made Great God of gods forget not those VVho Thee reprochfully despise Remember Lord the Blasphemies Cast on thee by our frantick Foes O! to the wicked Multitude Surrender not thy Turtle-dove Nor from thy tender care remove The Poore by powerfull VVrong pursu'd Thy Cov'nant bound by Oath maintain For Darknesse over-spreads the Face Of all the Land in every place Destruction Rape and Slaughter reign Let not th' opprest returne with shame But crown thee with deserv'd applause O patronize thy proper Cause Remember Fooles revile thy Name O let their Sorrowes never cease VVho blast Thee with their Calumnies The tumuls of their Pride who rise Against Thee every day increase PSALME LXXV As the 8. THY Praises O eternall King Our Soules in sacred Verse will sing The wonders of thy Works declare Thy Presence in thy Power and Care VVhen I shall weare the Hebrew Crown High Justice shall my Reign renown The Land with weakning Discord rent The People without Government Faint and dissolve Her Pillars I Support her Breaches fortifie Proud Man I said renounce thy Pride Thou Foole thy Folly cast aside Doe not so high your Hornes erect Nor bellow as with yoke uncheckt Preferment from the Orient Nor from the Evening-Suns Descent Nor Desert comes God guides our Fates He raiseth and He ruinates A cup of red and mingled VVine He poureth out to me and mine But every Rebell in the Land Shall drink the Dregs squeez'd by his Hand His noble Acts I will relate The God of Jacob celebrate Suppresse the VVicked and their wayes The Just to VVealth and Honour raise PSALME LXXVI As the 29. GOD in Judah is renown'd Salem with his Temple crown'd He in sacred Sion dwels Israel his wonders tels He their flying Ensignes teares Shivers the Assyrian Speares He their Swords Shields Arrowes broke Kill'd subdu'd without a stroke Thou more excellent then they That on Juries Mountains prey VVho the Great in battell foil'd Of their lives and honours spoil'd Not the Mightie could with-stand Nor so much as find a hand Princes by thy onely breath VVith the Vulgar sleep in Death Terrible unto thy Foes O who can thy Wrath oppose When as they thy Thunder heare Mortals stand amaz'd and feare VVhen from thy eternall Rest Thou descend'st to save th' Opprest Malice but it selfe betraies And converts into thy praise Future rage thou shalt restrain Making their indeavours vain Jacobs Seed with one accord Pay your Vowes unto the Lord. Holy Levites Offerings bring Of his glorious Conquest sing He who Princes overthrowes O how fearefull to his Foes PSALME LXXVII As the 5. TO God I cri'd He heard my cries Againe when plung'd in miseries Renew'd with raised hands and eyes My festred wounds ran all the Night No comfort could my Soule invite To relish long out-worn delight I call'd upon the Ever-blest And yet my troubles still increast Almost to Death by sorrow prest Thou keep'st my galled eyes awake Words faile my griefe sighs onely spake Which from my panting bosome brake Then did my Memory unfold The wonders which thou wrought'st of old By our admiring Fathers told The Songs which in the Night I sung When deeply by affliction stung These thoughts thus mov'd my desperate tongue Wilt thou for ever Lord forsake Nor pity on th' afflicted take O shall thy mercy never wake Wilt thou thy promise falsifie Must I in thy displeasure die Shall Grace before thy Fury flie This said I thus my Passions checkt His changes on their ends reflect To punish and restore th'Elect Part. 2 His great Deliverance shall dwell In my Remembrance I will tell What in our Fathers
Praise Happy who on Thee depend Thine their Way and thou their End VVho through Baca travelling Make that thirsty Vale a Spring Or soft Showres from Clouds distill And their emptie Cisterns fill Fresh in strength their course pursue Till they thee in Sion view Lord of Hosts incline thine Eare. O thou God of Jacob heare Thou our Rocke extend thy Grace Looke on thy Anointed's Face One Day in thy Courts alone Farre exceeds a Million Let me be contemn'd and poore In thy Temple keepe a Doore Then with wicked men possesse All that they call Happinesse O thou Shield of our Defence O thou Sun whose influence Sweetly glides into our Hearts Thou who all to thine imparts Happy O thrice happy hee VVho alone depends on Thee PSALME LXXXV As the 2. AT length thou hast thy Mercie showne Drawne from the Babylonian yoke Our Sinnes remov'd which did provoke Thy Wrath even that now overblowne Great God our ruin'd State restore And let thy Anger flame no more O shall it like a Comet raigne Extending to the yet unborne Wilt thou not quicken the forlorne That thine in Thee may joy againe O showre thy Mercie from above Preserve and fix us in thy love I will the Voice of God attend Who to his People speakes of Peace Such as in Sanctitie increase Nor to their Sinnes againe descend These soone with Freedome shall be blest That Glory may our Land invest Those Dayes shall consumate our Blisse Sweet Clemencie with Truth shall meet High Justice gentle Peace shall greet Saluting with a holy Kisse For Truth shall from the Earth arise And Righteousnesse looke from the Skies Then shall Jehovah distribute His Blessings with a liberall Hand The rich and ever gratefull Land Abundantly produce her fruit For Justice shall before him goe And her faire steps to Mortals show PSALME LXXXVI As the 13. MY God thy Suppliant heare Afford a gentle Eare For I am comfortlesse And labour in distresse My righteous Soule relieve So readie to forgive Thy Servant Lord defend Whose hopes on Thee depend Me from the Grave restore VVho daily Thee implore From wasting Sorrow free The Heart long vow'd to Thee For thou art God alone To tender pity prone Propitious unto all VVho on thy Mercy call O heare my fervent prayer And take me to thy care Then ready to be found VVhen troubles most abound VVhat God like Thee O Lord Of all by men ador'd Or underneath the Sun Such miracles hath done Part. 2 Zeale shall all hearts inflame T' adore and praise thy Name For thou art God alone Thy Power in VVonders shown Direct me in thy VVay So shall I never stray My thoughts from Tempests cleare Vnited in thy Feare My Soule shall celebrate Thy Praise thy Power relate That hast advanc'd my head And rais'd me from the Dead The Proud against me rise And pow'rfull Enemies All Rebels to thy Will My guiltlesse bloud would spill But O thou King of kings From Thee sweet Mercy springs Still gracious slow to wrath True to thy Servants Faith Lord for thy Mercies sake Into thy bosome take Thy Hand-maids Son O save From the devouring Grave Some happy Signe expose To my ashamed Foes That they thy Hate may see To them thy Love to me PSALME LXXXVII As the 8. THE Lord hath with his Temple crown'd Moriah by his Choice renown'd Not all the Tents of Israel Or Mountains which in height excell He so affects or celebrates As lofty Sions stately Gates Jerusalem thou Throne of Kings Of Thee they utter glorious things Not by Judea's narrow bounds Prescrib'd the Land which Nile surrounds Great Babylon proud Palaestine Rich Tyre which circling Seas confine And black-brow'd Aethiopians Shall yield thee Citizens and Sons All sorts of People foraign-bred As Natives there indenized In Sion built by immortall Hands Firme as the Mountaine where it stands The Lord in his eternall Scroll Shall these as Citizens inroll Their Musick shall th' Affections raise And Songs sung in Jehovah's praise Whose Blessings on this City shall Like Streames from Heavenly Fountains fall PSALME LXXXVIII As the 39. MY Saviour both by night and day To Thee I pray O let my Cries transcend the Sphears And pierce thy Eares Lest Sorrow stop my fainting breath Now neare the Jawes of greedy Death My light extinguisht numbered Among the Dead Like men in battaile slaine the wombe Of Earth their Tombe Forgotten as if never known By thy tempestuous Wrath o'rethrown By Thee lodg'd in the lower Deeps Where Horrour keeps In Dungeons where no Sun displaies His cheerfull Raies Crusht by thy Wrath on me thy Waves Rush like so many rolling Graves My old Familiars now my Foes Deride my Woes My House becomes my Gaole where I In Fetters lie Blind with my teares with crying hoarse Hands rais'd in vaine a walking Coarse Part. 2 Wilt thou to those thy Wonders show VVho sleep below The Dead from their cold Mansions raise To sing thy Praise Shall Mercy find us in the Grave Or wilt thou in Destruction save VVilt thou thy Wonders bring to light In Deaths long Night Or shall thy Justice there be shown VVhere none are known I have and still to Thee will pray Before the Sun restore the Day O why hast thou withdrawn thy Grace And hid thy Face From me who from my Infancy But daily die VVhil'st I thy Terrours undergoe Distracted by these stormes of woe Thy Anger like a Gulph devoures My trembling Powers With troups of Terrours circled round In Sorrow drown'd Depriv'd of those that lov'd me most To all in dark oblivion lost PSALME LXXXIX As the 72. OVr gratefull Songs O thou eternall King Shall ever of thy boundlesse Mercies sing And thy unalterable Truth rehearse To after Ages in a living verse For what is by thy Clemency decreed Shall orderly and faithfully succeed Even like those never resting Orbs above VVhich on firme hinges circularly move Thus God unto his servant David swore This Cov'nant made I will for evermore Thy Seed establish and thy Throne sustaine Whilst Seas shall flow or Moones increase and waine The heavenly Hierarchy thy Truth shall praise The Saints below thy glorious Wonders blaze For who is like our God above the Clouds Or who so great whom humane frailty shrowds He to his Angels terrible appeares And daunts the Tyrants of the Earth with feares Great God! how great when dreadfull Armies joyne What God so strong what Faith so firme as thine Part. 2 Thy Bounds the Billowes of the Sea restraine Thou calm'st the tumults of th' incensed Maine Proud Rahab like a Coarse with bloud imbru'd Hew'n downe the strong with greater strength subdu'd Thine are the Heavens those Lamps which guild the Skies Round Earth broad Seas and all which they comprise Thou mad'st the Southern and the Northern Pole Whereon the Orbs coelestiall swiftly rowle Hermon invested with the Morning Raies And Tabor with the Evening's sing thy praise Thy Arme excels in Strength thy hands sustaine The World they
May Parch't with Heat and nipt with Frost Soone shall fade for ever lost Part. 2 Lord thou art most Great most High Such from all Eternitie Perish shall thy Enemies Rebels that against thee rise All who in their Sins delight Shall be scatter'd by thy Might But thou shalt exalt my Horne Like a youthfull Vnicorn Fresh and fragrant Odors shed On thy crowned Prophets head I shall see my Foes defeat Shortly heare of their retreat But the Just like Palmes shall flourish VVhich the Plains of Judah nourish Like tall Cedars mounted on Cloud ascending Lebanon Plants set in thy Court below Spread their roots and upwards grow Fruit in their Old-age shall bring Ever fat and flourishing This Gods Justice celebrates He my Rocke Injustice hates PSALME XCIII As the 47. NOw great Jehovah raignes VVith Majesty aray'd His Power all powers restraines By men and gods obey'd The round Earth hung In liquid Aire Establisht there But by his Tongue Thy Throne more old then Time And after as before The Flouds in billowes clime And foming loudly rore VVith horrid Noise The Ocean raves And breaks his Waves Against the Skies But thou more to be fear'd More terrible then these Thy Voice in Thunder heard Thy Nod rebukes the Seas Thee Truth renowns Pure Sanctitie Eternally Thy Temple crowns PSALME XCIV As the 10. GReat God of Hosts revenge our Wrong On those who are in Mischiefe strong Vpon thy Foes Inflict our VVoes For Vengeance doth to Thee belong Judge of the World prevent The Proud and Insolent How long shall they the Just oppresse And triumphin their Wickednesse How long supplant Ah! how long vaunt And glory in their dire successe Thy Saints asunder break Insulting o're the Weak Who Strangers and poore VViddowes kill The blood of wretched Orphans spill And say Can he Or heare or see Doth God regard what 's good or ill Brute Beasts without a mind O Fools in knowledge blind Shall not th' Almighty see and heare VVho form'd the Eye and fram'd the Eare VVho Nations slew Not punish you VVho taught not know to him appeare Darke Counsels secret Fires Vaine Hopes and vast Desires Part. 2 But O! thrice blessed he whom God Chastiseth with his gentle Rod Informes and awes By sacred Lawes In stormes brought to a safe aboad VVhile the Unrighteous shall By winged Vengeance fall For he will not forsake th'Elect Nor who adore his Name reject But Judgement then Shall turne agen To Justice and her Throne Erect VVho are in Heart upright Shall follow that cleare Light VVhat mortall will th' Afflicted aid Depend when impious Foes invade Lord hadst not thou My Soule ere now In silent shades of Death had laid For he my Out-cries heard And from the Centre rear'd VVhen Griefe my labouring Soule confounds Thou powrest Balme into her wounds Shall Tyrannie VVith thee complie VVho Mischiefe for a Law propounds VVho swarme to circumvent And doome the Innocent But thou O Lord art my Defence My Refuge and my Recompence The Vicious shall By Vices fall By their owne Sinnes be swept from hence God shall cut off their breath And give them up to Death PSALME XCV As the 34. COme Sing the great Jehovah's Praise VVhose Mercies have prolong'd our Dayes Sing with a joyfull voyce VVith bending Knees and raised Eyes Adore your God ô sacrifice In sacred Hymnes rejoyce Great is the God of our Defence Transcending all in eminence His Hand the Earth sustaines The Depths the loftie Mountaines made The Land and liquid Plaines displaid And curbs them with his Reines O come before his Foot-stoole fall Our onely God who form'd us all Through Stormes of danger led He is our Shepheard we his Sheepe His Hands from Wolves and Rapine keepe In pleasant Pastures fed The Voice of God thus spake this Day Repine not as at Meribah As in the Wildernesse Where your Fore-fathers tempted me Who did my Workes of Wonder see And to their shame confesse VVhen vex't for fortie yeares I said This People in their hearts have strai'd Rebellious to command To whom I in my Anger swore That Death should seise on them before They knew this pleasant Land PSALME XCVI As the 29. NEw composed Ditties sing To our Everlasting King You all you of Humane birth Fed and nourisht by the Earth Celebrate Jehovah's Praise Daily his Deliveries blase His Glory let the Gentiles know To the VVorld his wonders show O how gracious ô how great Earth his Foot-stoole Heaven his Seat To be fear'd and honor'd more Then those gods whom Fooles adore Idols by their Servants made But our God the Heavens display'd Honour Beautie Power Divine In his Sanctuarie shine All who by his Favour live Glory to Jehovah give Glory due unto his Name And his Mightie Deeds proclame Offerings on his Altar lay There your Vowes devoutly pay In his beauteous Holinesse Part. 2 To the Lord your Prayer addresse All whom Earths round shoulders beare Serve the Lord with Joy and Feare Tell Mankinde Jehovah raignes He shall bind the world in Chaines So as it shall never slide And with sacred Justice guide Let the smiling Heavens rejoyce Joyfull Earth exalt her Voice Let the dancing Billowes rore Ecchoes answer from the Shore Fields their flowrie Mantles shake All shall in their Joy partake VVhile the VVoods Musicians sing To the ever-youthfull Spring Fill his Courts with sacred Mirth He He comes to judge the Earth Justly He the VVorld shall sway And his Truth to men display PSALME XCVII As the 8. O Earth joy in Jehovah's Raigne You numerous Iles claspt by the Maine Him rolling Clouds and Shades infold Judgement and Truth his Throne uphold VVho fierie Darts before him throwes VVith winged flames consumes his Foes His Lightning made a Day of Night Earth trembled at so fear'd a sight The Mountaines at his Presence sweat Like pliant VVax dissolv'd with Heat At his Descension from the Skie VVho rules the VVorlds great Monarchie The Heavens declare his Righteousnesse His Glorie wondering men confesse Let those with shame to Hell descend VVhose Knees to cursed Idols bend VVhose rockes for Deities implore O all you gods our God adore Rejoycing Sion heard her King Her Daughters of his Judgements sing Thou art exalted above all Mankinde and Pow'rs Angelicall Those Saints thy shady Wings protect VVho Sin abhorre and thee affect For thou hast sown the Seeds of Light And joy which shall invest th'Vpright You Just your joyfull Hearts elate His blest Memoriall celebrate PSALME XCVIII As the 47. SING to the King of kings Sing in unusuall Laies That hath wrought wondrous things His Conquest crown with Praise Whose Armes alone And sacred Hands Their impious Bands Have overthrown He Justice brings to light His saving Truth extends Even in the Gentiles sight To Earths remotest Ends. His Heavenly Grace At full displayd And promise made To Jacobs Race Let all that dwell on Earth Their high Affections raise VVith universall Mirth And loudly sing his Praise To Musick joyne The warbling
Voice Let all rejoyce With Joy divine The sprightly Trumpet sound The shrill-voic'd Cornet bring Let all with Joy abound Before the Lord our King Rore out you Seas You spangled Skies All you comprise Rejoyce with these Flouds clap your thronging waves You Hils exalt your mirth He who his People saves Now comes to judge the Earth The round World shall VVith Justice trie His Equitie Dispenst to all PSALME XCIX As the 29. LEt our Foes with terrour quake Let the Earths Foundation shake Now the Lord his Raigne begins Thron'd betweene the Cherubins O how great in Sions Towers High above all Mortall Powers Great and terrible his Name Since so holy praise the same Judgement his great Power affects Yet by Equitie directs These celestiall Twins imbrace These reflect on Jacobs Race O how holy above all Honour at his Foot-stoole fall Moses Aaron heretofore Among those who Mitres wore Samuel by Vow desir'd Among those who were inspir'd These to him their Praiers preferr'd These by him as soone were heard These his Statutes rarely brake Unto these th' Almightie spake In the Pillar of a Cloud To his Service ever vow'd He did their Petitions heare Mercifull and yet severe The Holy on his holy Hill Glorifie and worship still PSALME C. As the 47. All from the Suns uprise Unto his Setting Raies Resound in Jubilees The great Jehovah's Praise Him serve alone In triumph bring Your Gifts and sing Before his Throne Man drew from Man his Birth But God his noble Frame Built of the ruddy Earth Fill'd with caelestiall Flame His Sons we are Sheep by him led Preserv'd and fed With tender care O to his Portals presse In your divine resorts VVith Thanks his Power professe And praise him in his Courts How good how pure His Mercies last His promise past For ever sure PSALME CI. As the 46. OF Justice I and Mercy sing Which Lord from thee their Fountain spring The Graces that adorn a King Grave Wisdome shall my steps direct No Vice my heart nor Roofe infect When wilt thou visit thine Elect No pleasure shall mine eyes misguide Who from the Tract of Vertue slide Just Hate shall from my Soul divide Who mischief in their Hearts contrive Delight in Wrong in Factions strive I from my peacefull Court will drive Who hath his Friend with Slander strook I will cut off nor ever brook A proud Heart and a haughty Look Mine Eyes the Faithfull shall observe Those in my Family shall serve Who never from pure Vertue swerve But who are exercis'd in Guile Whose Tongues malicious Lies defile I from my Presence will exile And all the VVicked in the Land VVill cut off with a timely Hand Nor shall they in Gods Citie stand PSALME CII As the 22. ACcept my Prayers nor to the Cry Of my Affliction stop thine Eare Lord in the time of Misery And sad restraint serene appeare The Sighings of my Spirit heare And when I call with speed reply As Smoke so fleets my Soule away My marrow dry'd as Harths with heat My heart struck down like withered Hay Through Sorrow I forsake my meat While meagre cares my Liver eate The clinging Skin my Bones display Like Desert-haunting Pelicans In Cities not lesse desolate Like Screech-Owles who with ominous straines Disturb the Night and day-light hate A Sparrow which hath lost his Mate And on a Pinacle complaines Reviling Foes my Honour blast And frantick men my ruine sweare For Bread I roll'd-on ashes tast Each drop I drink mixt with a teare For Lord O who thy Wrath can beare Thou raisest and dost head-long cast My Daies short as the Evening shade As Morning Dew consume away As Grasse cut downe with Sithes I fade Or like a flower cropt yesterday But Lord thou suffer'st no decay Thy Promises shall never vade For thou shalt from thy Rest arise Since now th' appointed time drawes neare And look on Sions miseries Her Walls and batter'd Buildings reare VVhose ruins to thy Saints are deare For they her Dust as sacred prise Part. 2 Thy Name then shall the Gentiles praise All Kings thy Honour celebrate For when the Lord shall Sion raise His Glory shall ascend in State So prone to heare the Desolate And succour them in all assaies Unto eternall Memory Our Histories shall this record And all that are created by His pow'rfull Hand shall feare the Lord Who doth such Grace to his afford And on the Earth looks from on high To heare the pensive Captives grone The Sons of Death by him unbound His Name againe in Sion known That Salem may his Praise resound When in his Service all the Round Of Earth shall there be joyn'd in one Yet Lord amidst these Hopes thou hast Consum'd my strength abridg'd my yeares Before my Noon of Life be past Let me not die thus drown'd in teares Time wasts not thee which all out-weares Thy happy Daies for ever last Thou mad'st the Earth thou didst display The Heavens in various motion roll'd These and their Glories shall decay But thou shalt thy existence hold They like a Garment shall grow old And in their changes passe away But thou art still the same before The World and after shalt remaine You blessed Soules who God adore VVith Patient Hope your harmes sustaine For you shall prosper in his Reign And yours subsist for evermore PSALME CIII As the 8. MY Soule and all my Faculties Jehovah praise sing till the Skies Re-eccho his ascending Fame My Soule O celebrate his Name Nor ever let the memory Of his surpassing Favours die He gently pardons our misdeeds And cures the VVound which inward bleeds Hath from the Chains of Death unbound With Clemency and Mercy crown'd VVith Food our Hunger he subdues And Eagle-like our Youth renues His Justice he extends to all Oppressors by his Vengeance fall His sacred Paths to Moses shown His Miracles to Israel known From Him the Springs of Mercy flow Swift to forgive to anger slow For he will not for ever chide Nor constant to his VVrath abide But mildly from his Rage relents And shortens our due Punishments For as the Heavens in amplitude Exceed the Centre they include So ample is his Clemencie To all who on his Grace relie Part. 2 As farre as the bright Orient Is distant from the Suns Descent So farre he sets from his Aspect Their Cuilt who him with feare affect And as a Father to his Child So soft so quickly reconcil'd He knowes the Fabrick of us all That dust is our Originall Man flourisheth like Grasse a Flower That blowes and withers in an houre By scorching heat by blasting Wind Deflowr'd and leaves no print behind But his firme Mercy shall imbrace His Saints for ever and their Race Those who his equall Lawes fulfill Remember and performe his VVill. In Heaven the great Jehovah reigns And governs all that Earth contains You Angels who in strength exceed VVho him obey with winged speed You ordred Hosts of radiant Stars O you his flaming Ministers All
Deserts showes For he his sacred Promise call'd to minde To Abraham his Friend and Servant sign'd Thus he his People brought from servitude VVhose long-felt miseries in joy conclude From hence the Heathen by our Weapons chac'd And us his sonnes in their possessions plac'd That from his Statutes we might never swerve O praise the Lord and him devoutly serve PSALME CVI. As the 72. VVITH gratefull hearts Jehovahs praise resound In goodnesse great whose Mercy hath no bound VVhat Language can expresse his mighty deeds Or utter his due praise which words exceeds Thrice blessed they who his commands observe Nor ever from the tract of Justice swerve Great God O with benevolent aspect Even with the love thou bear'st to thine Elect Behold and succour That my ravisht Eyes May see a period of their miseries VVho Thee adore that I may give a voice To thy great Acts and in their joy rejoyce We as our Fathers have thy Grace exil'd Revolted and our Souls with Sin defil'd They of thy Miracles in Egypt wrought So full of Feare and Wonder never thought Thy Mercies then their haires in number more But murmur'd on the Erythraean Shore Yet for his Honour sav'd them from the Foe That all the VVorld his wondrous Power might know There the commanded Sea asunder rent VVhile Israel through his dusty Chanel went VVhom He from Pharaoh and his Army saves The swift-returning Flouds their fatall Graves Part. 2 Then they his VVord believ'd and sung his Praise Yet soone forgot and wandred from his VVaies VVho long for flesh to pamper their excesse And tempt him in the barren Wildernesse He grants their wish and with a Flight of Fowles Sent meager Death into their hungry Soules They Moses gentle Government oppose And envy Aaron whom the Lord had chose The yawning Earth then in her silent womb Did Dathan and Abirams Troups intomb A swiftly-spreading Fire among them burnes And those Conspirators to Ashes turnes Yet they the slaves of Sin in Horeb made A Calfe of Gold and to an Idol prai'd The Lord their Glory thus exchanged they For th' Image of a Beast that feeds on Hay Forgot their Saviour all his Wonders shown In Zoan and the Plains by Nile o'reflown The VVonders acted by his pow'rfull Hand VVhere the Red-Sea obey'd his stern Command God had pronounc'd their ruine Moses then His Servant Moses and the best of Men Stood in the Breach which their Rebellion made And by his Prayer the hand of Vengeance staid Part. 3 Yea they this fruitfull Paradise despis'd Nor his so-oft-confirmed Promise priz'd But mutined against their faithfull Guide And basely wisht they had in Egypt dy'd For this the Lord advanc'd his dreadfull Hand To overthrow them on th' Arabian Sand To scatter their rebellious Seed among Their Foes expos'd to Poverty and Wrong Besides Baal-Peor they ador'd and fed On Sacrifices offer'd to the Dead Thus their Impieties the Lord incense Who smote them with devouring Pestilence But when with noble anger Phinees slew The bold Offenders He his Plagues with-drew This was reputed for a righteous Deed Which should for ever consecrate his Seed So they at Meribah his Anger mov'd The sacred Prophet for their sakes reprov'd Their Cries his Saint-like sufferance provoke Who rashly in his Soules distemper spoke Nor ever entred the affected Land They still rebellious to divine Command Preserv'd those Nations by his Wrath subdu'd Mixt with the Heathen and their Sins pursu'd Their cursed Idols serve with Rites profane Snares to their Soule and from no Crime abstaine Their Sons and Virgin daughters sacrifice Part. 4 To Divels and looke on with tearelesse eyes Defil'd the Land with innocent blood which sprung From their owne loines on flaming Altars flung Vnto adulterate Deities they praid And worshipped those Gods their hands had made These crying Sins exasperate the Lord VVho now his owne inheritance abhorr'd Given up unto the Heathen for a Prey Slaves to their Foes who hate them most obey Deliver'd oft as oft his Wrath provoke And with increasing Sins renew their Yoke Yet he compassionates their miseries And with soft pity heares their mournfull Cries His former Promise calls to mind relents And in his Mercy of his Wrath repents In salvage Hearts unknowne Compassion bred By whom but lately into thraldome led Great God of gods thy Votaries protect And from among the Barbarous recollect That we to Thee may dedicate our Daies And joyntly triumph in thy glorious Praise Blest O for ever blest be Israels King All you his People Halelu-jah sing Amen Amen A PARAPHRASE VPON THE FIFTH BOOKE OF THE PSALMES OF DAVID PSALME CVII As the 8. EXtoll and our good God adore Whose Sea of Mercy hath no Shore O you by Tyrants late opprest Now from your servile Yokes releast Praise him who your Redemption wrought And home from barbarous Nations brought From where the Morn her Wings displaies From where the Evening crowns the Daies Beneath the burning Zone and neare The Influence of the freezing Beare They in unpeopled Deserts straid The Heavens their Roofe the Clouds their shade Their Soules with thirst and hunger faint None by to pity their Complaint VVhen to the Lord their God they cry'd His Mercy their extreams supply'd He led them through the Wildernesse And gave them Cities to possesse O you his Goodnesse celebrate His Acts to all the World relate For he in foodlesse Deserts fed The Hungry with coelestiall Bread From wondring Rocks new Currents roule Part. 2 To satisfie the thirsty Soule Those Rebels who his Counsell slight Imprison'd in the shades of Night Horrors of Guilt their Souls surprise When humbled with their miseries They to the Lord addrest their Praiers His Mercy comforts their Despaires From Darknesse drawes dissolves their Gieves And from Deaths Jawes preserves their lives O you his Goodnesse celebrate His Acts to all the World relate He breaks Steel-barres and Gates of Brasse To force a way for His to passe Those Fools whom pleasing Sins intice Are punisht by their darling Vice Their Souls all sorts of Food distaste Whom Troops of pale Disease waste When they to God direct their Praiers His Mercy comforts their Despaires His Word restores them from their Graves And from a dreadfull Ruine saves O you his Goodnesse celebrate His Acts to all the World relate Due Praises to his Altar bring And of your great Redemption sing Part. 3 VVho saile upon the toiling Maine And traffick in pursuit of Gaine To such his Power is not unknowne Nor wonders in the Ocean showne At his Command black Tempests rise Then mount they to the troubled Skies Thence sinking to the Depths below The Ship Hulls as the Billowes flow And all Aboord at every seele Like Drunkards on the Hatches reele VVhen they to God direct their Prayers His Mercy comforts their Despaires Forthwith the bitter Storms asswage And foming Seas suppresse their Rage Then singing with a prosperous gale To their desired Harbour saile O you his Goodnesse celebrate His Acts to
happy from their birth His House with riches shall abound His truth with endlesse honour crown'd To him in darknesse light ascends Mild gracious just in all his ends His bounty for the poore provides Discretion all his actions guides No violence shall cast him downe No time deface his just renowne Nor rumours shake his confidence The Lord his Hope and strong Defence Confirm'd in fearelesse fortitude Till he have all his Foes subdu'd He the necessitated feeds The honour of his vertuous Deeds Shall live in sacred memory His Glories shall ascend on high Th'unjust inrag'd their teeth shall grin'd And languish with the griefe of mind Pale envy shall their flesh consume And all their hopes convert to fume PSALME CXIII As the cxi Hallelu-jah O You who serve the living Lord Due praises to his Name afford Now and for ever celebrate Let all his noble Acts relate Even from the purple Morn's uprise To where the Evening flecks the Skies All power to his Dominion bends His Glory the bright Stars transcends What God can be compar'd with ours VVho Thron'd in Heavens superiour towres Submits himselfe to guide and move All that is done in Heaven above And from that height vouchsafes to throw His eyes on us who creepe below The poore he raiseth from the Dust Even from the Dunghill lifts the Just Whom he to height of honour brings And sets him in the Thrones of Kings He fructifies the barren Wombe The Childlesse Mothers now become Hallelu-jah PSALME CXIV As the cxi VVHen Israel left th' Egyptian Land Freed from a tyrannous command God his owne People sanctifi'd And he himselfe became their Guide Th' amazed Seas this seeing fled And Jordan shrunke into his Head The cloudy Mountaines skipt like Rams The little Hils like frisking Lambs Recoyling Seas what caus'd your dread Why Jordan shrunk'st thou to thy Head Why Mountaines did you skip like Rams And why you little Hils like Lambs Earth tremble thou before his Face Before the God of Jacobs Race VVho turn'd hard Rocks into a Lake VVhen Springs from flinty intrailes brake PSALME CXV As the 9. VVE nothing can of merit clame Not for our sakes thy aide afford But for the honour of thy Name Thy Mercy and unfailing VVord VVhy should th' insulting Heathen cry VVher 's now the God they vainly praise Our Lord inthron'd above the Skie All underneath at pleasure swaies Their Gods but Gold and silver be Made by a fraile Artificer For they have eyes that cannot see Dumbe mouthes and eares that cannot heare Fooles on their Altars incense throw VVho nothing smell their Feet are bound Nor have they power to moove or goe Their throats give passage to no sound Their hands can neither give nor take Unapt to punish or defend As senselesse they who Idols make Part. 2 Or to their carved Statues bend Your hopes on God O Israel place He is your Helpe and strong Defence Be he you Priests of Aarons Race The object of your confidence In him all you that feare him trust He shall protect you in distresse The Lord is of his Promise just And will his faithfull Servants blesse The House of chosen Israel And Aarons holy Family The poore and who in power excell That love and on his aide relye They shall a mighty People grow Their Children happy from their birth He will increase of gifts bestow VVhose hands created Heaven and Earth He in the Heaven of Heavens resides And over all his Creatures reignes Among the sonnes of men divides The Earth and all that Earth containes VVho sleepe within the vaults of Death No Offerings to his Altars bring O praise his Name while we have breath And loudly Halelu-jah sing PSALME CXVI As the 4. MY Soule intirely shall affect The Lord whose eares my grones respect In misery He heard thy cry To him thy Prayers direct Sorrows of Death my Soule assail'd The greedy jawes of Hell prevail'd Deprest with griefe When all reliefe And humane pitty fail'd I cri'd My God O looke on me Thou ever Just th' afflicted free O from the Grave Thy Servant save For mercy lives in thee The Innocent and long distrest The humble minde by wrongs opprest Thy Favour still Preserves from ill My Soule then take thy rest God staid my feet and dry'd my teares Redeem'd from Death and deadly feares That still I might Walke in his sight And number many yeares Part. 2 Thus with a firme beliefe I prai'd Yet in extreames of trouble said All on the Earth Of mortall birth Even all of Lies are made VVhat shall I unto God restore For all his Mercies Fall before His holy Throne And him alone With sacred Rites adore I will performe my Vowes this day VVhere they frequent who God obey Right precious is The Death of His He sees and will repay Lord I am thine thy Hand-maids Seed By Thee from raging Tyrants freed My Prayers shall rise In Sacrifice My thanks thy Altar feed I will performe my Vowes this day Where thy frequent who God obey Even in his Court Within thy Fort Renowned Solyma PSALME CXVII As the 47. YOu Nations of the Earth Our great Preserver praise All you of humane birth To Heaven his Glory raise Whose Mercy hath No end nor bound His Promise crown'd VVith constant Faith PSALME CXVIII As the cxi PRaise our good God that King of kings From whom eternall Mercy springs Let Israel let Aarons Race Let all that flourish in his Grace Confesse that from the King of kings Eternity of Mercie springs He in my trouble heard my Prayers And freed me from their deadly snares He fights my Battailes then how can I feare the Power of feeble Man Assists my Friends my Enemies Shall with their slaughter feast mine eyes Farre better to have Confidence In God then trust to mans Defence On him much safer to relie Then on the strength of Monarchy The Nations all at once assail'd But by his Aid my Sword prevail'd Their Armies had beset me round I with their Bodies strew'd the ground Though they like Bees about me swarme His holy Name and pow'rfull Arme Shall soone consume their numerous powers As Fire the crackling Thorne devoures Part. 2 Mad men his Fall you seeke in vaine VVhom great Jehovah's Hands sustaine He is my Strength his Praise my Song By him preserv'd from powerfull Wrong Our Tents with publike Joy shall ring The Just of their Deliverance sing He with his owne Right hand hath fought His owne Right hand hath Wonders wrought I shall not die but live to praise The Lord who hath prolong'd my Daies He with his Scourge my Sin corrects Yet from the Darts of Death protects You to his Service sanctifi'd The Temple Doores set open wide That I may enter in his Name And celebrate his glorious Fame Those are the Doores at which all they Shall enter who his Will obey His Praise with Hymnes immortallize My Saviour who hath heard my Cries Part. 3 That Stone the Builders from them cast Is
thy Lawes affect Shine on my Soule thy Statutes teach mine Eyes Shed showres of teares when men thy Lawes despise TSADDI Part. 18 As Thou thy Selfe so all thy Lawes are just Faithfull to those who in thy Promise trust Zeale hath consum'd me for my Foes neglect Of thy pure Lawes which I in heart affect Those to observe though meane and scorn'd intend Truth crownes thy Word thy Justice without end These in my griefe and trouble comfort give Informe with Knowledge that my Soule may live COPH. Part. 19 O heare my cries preserve his life who will Thy Laws obey and just Commands fulfill My Eies out-watch the Night my cries prevent The early Morne in due Devotion spent Heare and revive thy Justice execute On lawlesse men preserve from their pursuit Thy oft-tri'd Mercy ever is at hand Thy Judgements on eternall Bases stand RESCH. Part. 20 Behold my sorrowes patronize my cause Thy Word performe to him that keepes thy Lawes Death shall devoure who thy Commands neglect Thou great in Mercy my sought life protect In all extreames I have thy VVill observ'd Griev'd when Transgressors from thy Statutes swerv'd To me who love thy Lawes thy Grace extend Thy Truth began with Time and knowes no end SCHIN Part. 21 Tyrants oppresse thy VVord restraines my Minde VVherein I joy like those who Treasure finde Fraud I abhorre inamour'd on thy VVaies Seven times a Day my Lips thy Justice praise VVho love thy Lawes sweet Peace and Safetie blesse In Thee I hope nor thy just Will transgresse Thy Word observe thy Statutes I affect Which through these humane Seas my course direct TAV Part. 22 Accept my Prayers with Knowledge Lord indue From Death redeeme since to thy Promise true Thy Statutes taught I will thy Praise resound Thy Word extoll and Lawes with Justice crown'd These are my choice uphold with thy right Hand Who feed on Hope and joy in thy Command Prolong my life that I thy Praise may sing Lord thy straid Sheepe backe to thy Pasture bring PSALME CXX As the 5. DIstrest and in my minde dismay'd When destitute of humane aid To Thee successefully I prai'd Lord shield me from the Fraudulent From those that are on malice bent Who envious Calumnies invent O thou false tongue steep't in the gall Of Serpents what reward for all Thy mischiefe shall to thee befall Like Arrowes shot from Parthian strings Fir'd Juniper and Scorpions stings Such art thou ô thou worst of things Wo's me that I from Israel Exiled must in Mesech dwell And in the Tents of Ismael O how long shall I live with those Whose savage minds sweet Peace oppose Where Fury by disswasion growes PSALME CXXI As the 15. TO the Hils thine Eies erect Helpe from those alone expect He who Heaven and Earth hath made Shall from Sion send thee aid God thy ever-watchfull Guide Will not suffer thee to slide He even he who Israel keepes Never slumbers never sleepes He thy Guard with Wings display'd Shall refresh Thee in their Shade Suns shall not with heat infect But their temperate beames reflect Nor unwholsome Serene shall From the Moones moyst influence fall When thou travel'st on the way VVhen at home thou spend'st the Day VVhen sweet Peace thy life delights VVhen imbroil'd in bloudie Fights God shall all thy steps attend Now and evermore defend PSALME CXXII As the cxi O Happy Summons to the Court And Temple of the Lord resort Jerusalem our Feet shall tread VVithin thy VValls O thou the Head Of all the Earth and Judah's Throne Three Cities strongly joyn'd in one The Tribes in throngs to Thee ascend The Tribes which on the Lord depend Fat Offerings to his Altar bring And his immortall Praises sing There shall he his Tribunall place The Judgement-seat of Davids Race Your joyes shall with your daies increase VVho love and pray for Salems Peace May Peace within thy VValls abound Thy Palaces with joy resound Even for my Friends and Kindreds sake May never VVarre thy Bulwarkes shake Even for the hope of Israel And House where God vouchsafes to dwell PSALME CXXIII As the 34. THou mover of the rolling Spheares I through the Glasses of my Teares To Thee my Eies erect As Servants marke their Masters hands As Maids their Mistresses commands And liberty expect So we deprest by enemies And growing troubles fixe our Eies On God who sits on High Till he in mercy shall descend To give our miseries an end And turne our teares to joy O save us Lord by all forlorne The subject of contempt and scorne Defend us from their pride VVho live in fluency and ease VVho with our woes their malice please And miseries deride PSALME CXXIV As the 72. BVT that God fought for us may Israel say But that God fought for us in that sad Day VVhen men inflam'd with wrath against us rose VVe had alive beene swallowed by our Foes Then had we sunke beneath the roaring Waves And in their horrid entrailes found our graves Then had their violence like torrents powr'd From melting Hils our wretched lives devour'd O blest be God! who hath not given our bloud To quench their thirst nor made our flesh their food Our Soules like Birds have scap't the Fowlers Net The snares are broke which for our lives were set Our onely confidence is in his Name VVho made the Earth and Heavens immortall frame PSALME CXXV As the 9. THey who the Lord their Fortresse make Shall like the Towers of Sion rise VVhich dreadfull Earth-quakes never shake Nor raging tumults of the skies Lo as the Hils of Solyma Divine Jerusalem enclose So shall his Angels in the Day Of danger shield them from their Foes The Wicked shall not long subject Their holy Race lest through despaire They should the Lawes of God neglect And be as their Commanders are Lord to the Good be good the Just Protect Their punishments increase Who follow their rebellious lust But crowne thy Israel with Peace PSALME CXXVI As the cxi VVHen God had our deliverance wrought And Sion out of Bondage brought It seem'd to us a Dreame who were Distracted betweene Hope and Feare Then sacred Joy fill'd every Brest In flowing Mirth and Songs exprest The wondring Heathen oft would say How good how great a God have they Great things for us the Lord hath wrought Above the reach of humane thought We therefore will his praises sing The Remnant Lord from Bondage bring As Rivers through the parched Sand Or showres which fall on thirsty land VVho sow in Teares shall reape in Joy We after long Captivity Unto our native Soile retire The scope and crowne of our desire PSALME CXXVII As the 7. VNlesse the Lord the house sustaine They build in vaine In vaine they watch unlesse the Lord The City guard In vaine you rise before the Light And breake the slumbers of the Night In vaine the bread of sorrow eat Got by your sweat Unlesse the Lord with good successe Your labours blesse For he all good on
vicious have their vice enjoy'd Be therefore not too righteous nor too wise For why should'st thou thy safetie sacrifice Be not too wicked nor too foolish why Should'st thou by violence untimely dye T is best for thee that thou to neither leane But warily observe the safer Meane For they shall all their miseries transcend Who God adore and on his will depend A wise man is by wisedome fortifi'd More strong then twenty which the Citie guide For Justice is not to be found on Earth None good nor innocent of humane Birth Give not to all that 's said an open eare Least thou thy Servants execrations heare For thy owne heart can tell that thou hast done The like to others Thy example shun All this by wisedome try'd I seemed wise But shee from humane apprehension flyes Can that which is so farre remov'd and drown'd In such profundities by Man be found Yet in her search I exercis'd my Mind Of things the Causes and Effects to find The wickednesse of Folly sought to know Folly and Madnesse from one fountaine flow More sharpe then Death I found her subtle Art Who nets spreds in her Eyes snares in her Heart Her Armes inthralling chaines the prudent shall Escape the foole by her enchantments fall Of all the Preacher hath experience made The reasons one by one distinctly waigh'd Yet could I not attaine to what I most Desir'd to know in my inquiry lost One good among a thousand Men have knowne Among the female sex of all not one Though in perfection God did Man create Yet we through vanitie degenerate Chap. 8 Is any equall to the truly wise To him that can interpret Mysteries For wisedome makes the face of Man to shine With awefull Majestie and Light Divine Observe the Kings Commands Remember thou Even in that Dutie thy Religious vow Depart not discontented nor Dispute With him who can with Punishments confute For Power is throned in the Breath of Kings And who dare say they charge unlawfull things He who obayes Destruction shall eschew A wise man knowes both when and what to doe For all our Purposes on Time depend And Judgement to produce them to their end They wander in the Pensive shades of Night Who want the guide of this directing Light Surpriz'd by unexpected Miseries Nor can Instruction make the foolish wise What Guard of Teeth can keepe our parting Breath Or who resist the fatall Stroake of Death None shall returne with conquest from that field Nor Vice Protection to the vitious yield This Vanitie I saw beneath the Sun The Mighty by abused Power undone And though intomb'd with sumptuous funerall In his owne Citie soone forgot by all Impiety delights in her misdeeds In that Revenge so tardily succeeds Although a Sinner sinne a hundred times And were his Yeares as numerous as his Crimes Yet God to those his Mercy will extend Whose humble Soules are fearefull to offend But bold Transgressors with destruction meet Their shortned Dayes shall like a shadow fleet Among the Sonnes of Men this mischiefe raignes Exalted Vice the meed of Vertue gaines And those afflictions which to Vice are due Suppressed Vertue furiously pursue Then I commended Life-prolonging Mirth To feed upon the Bounty of the Earth And drinke the generous Grapes refreshing juyce Is all the good our Labours can produce This is the best of Life by God alone Bestow'd on Man and only is his owne Chap. 9 When I aspir'd to know how God th' affaires Of Men dispos'd observ'd the restlesse Cares The travels and disturbed thoughts which keepe The toyling Braine from the reliefe of sleepe I then perceived that humane industry Could not the wayes nor workes of God descry Though Men endeavour though the wise suppose They apprehend yet none his wisedome knowes But this have found that both the just and wise Their industry even all their faculties Are in his Rule and by his Motion move Nor can determine of his Hate or Love All under Heaven succeeds alike to all To good and bad the same events befall To pure impure to those who Sacrifice To those who Pietie and God despise To th' innocent the guiltie such who feare Flagitious Oathes and those who fearelesse sweare What greater mischiefe rules beneath the Sunne Than this that all unto one period runne Men while they live are mad profanely spend Their flight of time then to the dead descend Yet those have hope who with the living dwell For living Dogs dead Lyons farre excell The living know that they at length must dye They nothing know who in Earths entrailes lye What better times can they expect who rot In silent graves and are by All forgot Abolish'd is their Envy Love and Hate Bereft of all which they possest of late Then take my Counsell eate thy Bread with joy Let wine the Sorrowes of thy heart destroy Why should unfruitfull Cares our Soules molest Please thou thy God and in his favour rest Be thy Apparell ever fresh and faire Powre breathing Odors on thy shining haire Enjoy the pleasures of thy gentle Wife Through all the Course of thy short-dated Life For this is all thy Industry hath wonne Even all thou canst expect beneath the Sunne Since Time hath wings what thou intend'st to doe Doe quickly and with all thy Power pursue No wisedome knowledge wit or worke will goe Along with thee unto the Shades below I see the swift of foot winnes not the Race Nor wreathes of Victory the Valiant grace The wise to feed his hunger wanteth Bread Riches are not by knowledge purchased Nor Popular suffrages Desert advance All rul'd by Opportunity and Chance Man knowes not his owne fate As Birds are tane With Tramels Fishes by th'intangling Saine Even so the Sonnes of Men are un-awares Prevented by Destructions secret Snares This also have I seene beneath the Sun So full of wonder and by wisedome done A little Citie man'd but by a few To which a Mightie King his Army drew Erected Bulwarkes and intrench't it round A poore wise man within the walles was found Whose wisedome rais'd the siege But they ingrate Neglected him who had preserv'd their State Then wisedome before Strength should be preferr'd Yet is if poore despis'd her words unheard Men more should listen to her sober Rules Then to his Cryes who governes among fooles Wisedome th'habilaments of warre exceeds But Folly is destroy'd by her owne Deeds Lo as dead flyes with their ill savour spoyle Th'Apothecaries Aromaticke oyle Even so a little folly damnifies The Dignitie and Honour of the wise A wise mans Heart to his right hand enclines A foole t' his left and such are his designes His owne disordred Paths his life defame His gesture and his lookes a foole proclaime Chap. 10 Although thy Ruler frowne yet do not thou Resent his Anger with a cloudie Brow Nor with obedience or thy faith dispence For yeelding pacifies a great offence This in a State no small disorder breeds Which from the errour of the
exclaime Ah! Perished Are all my hopes from me my strength is fled These thoughts my Soule have humbl'd trod to Earth My Pride and given my Hopes a second Birth T' was thy abundant goodnesse Lord that all Did not together in one Ruine fall Thy Mercies with the rising Light renue And thy Fidelitie as large as true My soule is arm'd with stedfast Confidence Since thou my Portion art and strong Defence To those how gracious who on thee relye Who seeke thee with unfainting Industry T is good to hope and rest upon thy Truth T is good to beare thy yoake in early youth Alone he silent sits nor will distrust Thy Promise when he hides his head in Dust His cheeke submits to blowes by all revil'd Yet knowes at length thou wilt be reconcil'd When God with griefe hath fixt thee to the ground His Mercy will powre balme into thy wound For He delights not in our Misery On those to trample who in fetters lye Hates that the weake should be opprest by might Or Justice suffer in the Judges sight O tell what can befall beneath the Sun That is not by the Lords appointment done Both good and bad from Him proceeds why then Grudge you at punishment vaine sinfull Men Turne we to God by tryall of our wayes To Heaven our hearts our hands and voyces raise We have transgres'd rebell'd no pardon gaine The Food of Wrath by thee pursu'd and slaine Thou hast with Cloud 's thy selfe inclos'd of late Through which no Prayers of ours can penetrate With Men the refuse and off-skouring made Whom all our Foes with open mouthes upbraid Fill'd with vastation ruines snares and feares While for my Childrens losse I melt in Teares Nor shall those briny Rivers cease to flow Till God looke downe with pitie on our woe Mine eye ah wounds my heart when I behold My Cities Daughters to Afflictions sold Those who thy Beauty Solyma deface My soule like a retrived Partridge chace Cut from the living in a Dungeon throwne And over-whelmed with a Pile of Stone Stormes ore my head their rowling billowes tost Then cry'd I ah I am for ever lost Thou from the Dungeon Lord my cryes didst heare O never from my sighes divert thine Eare Thou stood'st besides me in that horrid Day And said'st Take courage nor thy feare obey My cause thou Lord hast pleaded in this strife And from their greedy jawes redeem'd my Life Thou that hast seene my wrongs restore my right Thou hast their vengeance seene and cursed spight The malice heard which their false tongues disclose The thoughts and machinations of my Foes VVhen they sit downe and when they rise I still Become their Musick and their Laughter fill Rewards according to their works disburse Their Hearts with Sorrow wound blast with thy Curse Pursue destroy nor Lord thy wrath restraine Till none beneath the arch of Heaven remaine Chap. 4 How is our Gold growne dimme of all the most Refin'd and pure hath now his Lustre lost That Marble which the Temple beautifi'd Torne downe by impious Rage and cast aside The wretched Sons of Sion ah behold Of late so precious more esteem'd then Gold How slighted to how low a value brought Like Earthen vessels by the Potter wrought The Monsters of the Sea and Salvage Beasts Their young ones gently foster at their Breasts My Daughters ah more cruell are then these Or then the desert-haunting Estriges Their Children cry for Bread but none receive Whose thirsty tongues to their hot pallats cleave VVho fed Deliciously now sit forlorne And those who Scarlet wore on dung-hils mourne The Punishments as did their sinnes excell That which from Heaven on wicked Sodom fell Devour'd with sodaine flames No Creature found To whom his wrath could adde another wound Her Nazarites late pure as falling Snow More white then Streames which from stretcht udders flow Not Rubies of the rocke such red insphear'd Nor polisht Saphires like their Veines appear'd Their faces now more blacke then Cinders growne To such as meet them in the Streets unknowne VVhose wither'd Skins more dry then saplesse wood Cleave to their fleshlesse Bones for want of Food O farre lesse wretched they whose parting Breath Breaks through their wounds then those who starve to death For they in lingring torments pine away And find not Death so cruell as Delay Soft-hearted Mothers live by horrid spoile And their beloved Babes in Caldrons boyle On these with weeping Eyes and hearts that bleed The famisht Daughters of my People feed The Lord his vengeance now accomplish't hath And powred forth the Viols of his wrath Forsaken Sion sets on fire whose Towers And Palaces the hungry flame devoures You Kings that sway the many-Peopled Earth All who from groaning Mothers take your birth O would you have believ'd that thus the Foe Should have triumpht in her sad overthrow Her Priests and Prophets sins who should have taught By their Example have her ruine wrought VVith humane flesh her flaming Altars fed And blood of Innocents profusely shed VVho blindly wander so defil'd with gore That none would touch the Garments which they wore Depart they cry'd Depart and touch us not Depart ô you whom foule pollutions spot Thus chid they stray'd and to the Gentiles fled Yet said ere long we shall from hence be led For this the Lord hath scatter'd in his Ire Nor ever shall they to their homes retire Their unregarded Priests slaine by the Foe Who would no pitie to the aged show Yet vainely we in these our Miseries With expectation have consum'd our eyes And fostered flattering hopes built on their word Who can no ayd to our Extreames afford Like cruell Hunters they our steps pursue While we in Corners lurke from publike view That Fatall Day drawes neere wherein we must Descend to Death and mingle with the Dust Not Eagles fearefull Doves so swiftly chace As they with winged feet our foot-steps trace Pursue o're Mountaines watch at every Streight And to intrap us in the Defart waite The Lords Anointed even our nostrils Breath They have ensnar'd and rendred up to Death Of whom we said Among the Heathen wee Beneath his wings shall live in exile free Daughter of Edom thou that dwelst in Hus Exalt thy Joy This Cup to thee from us Shall swiftly passe thy braines inebriate so As thou thy nakednesse shalt boldly show Yet when thy Sins deserved Punishment O wretched Sions Daughter shall be spent Jehova will thy Banishment repeale Foment thy wounds and all thy bruises heale Then he on Edoms Issue shall impose Our yoake and her deformitie disclose Chap. 5 Remember Lord the Afflictions we have borne See how we are to all the world a Scorne Our Lands and Houses forreiners possesse Our Mothers Widdowes and we Fatherlesse To us our wood the greedy Strangersels And dearely purcha'st water from our wels Our necks with heavy burthens are opprest All Day we toyle at Night depriv'd of Rest We in the Egyptian and Assyrian Lands Are forc't to
beg our bread with stretcht-out hands Our Fathers who transgrest in Death remaine And we the pressure of their sins sustaine Who were our vassals now our Soveraignes are And none survive to comfort our despaire With perill of our lives we seeke our food The sword in pathlesse Deserts thirsts for blood While Stormes of Famine mutiny within And like a furnace tan the saplesse skin In Judah's Cities Virgins they deflowre In Sion ravisht wives their wrongs deplore They crucifie our Princes in their rage Nor honour the aspect of reverend Age. Our Youth enforce to grind with lashes gall And Boyes beneath their cruell Burthens fall No Judge on high Tribunals now appeares No Musick drawes our Soules into our Eares Joy from our broken hearts exiled flyes Our mirth is chang'd to mourning Elegies The crowne from our ecclipsed Browes is torne By all except thy punishments forlorne Woe to our Sins for these we waste our yeares In Servitude We drowne our Eyes with teares For thee deserted Sion Foxes dwell Among thy ruines who our woes can tell Yet Lord thou ever liv'st Thy Throne shall last When funerall Flames the World to Cinders waste O why hast thou so long forgot thine owne Wilt thou forsake us as if never knowne O call us back that we thy face may view Those happy Dayes we once enjoy'd renew But thou hast cast us off to tread the path Of Exile made the Object of thy wrath A PARAPHRASE VPON THE SONGS COLLECTED OVT OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS EXODVS 15. As the 8. Psalme THE Praise of our triumphant King And of his Victory we sing Who in the Seas with horrid force O'rethrew the Rider and his Horse My Strength my God my Argument My Fathers God hath safety sent To him will I a Mansion raise There celebrate his glorious Praise His Sword hath won eternall fame And great Jehovah is his Name Lo Pharaoh's Chariots his proud Hoast Are in the swallowing Billowes lost God in the fathomlesse Profound Hath all his choice Commanders drown'd Downe sunk they like a falling stone By raging Whirl-pits ovethrowne Thy pow'rfull Hand these VVonders wrought Our Foes by Thee to ruine brought Thou all that durst against thee fight Hast crusht by thy prevailing Might Thy VVrath thy Foes to Cinders turnes As Fire the Sun-dri'd Stubble burnes Part 2 Blowne by thy Nostrils breath the Floud In heaps like solid Mountains stood The Seas divided Heart congeal'd Her sandy Bottom first reveal'd Pursue o're take th' Aegyptians cry'd Let us their wealthy Spoile divide Our Sword these Fugitives destroy And with their Slaughter feast our Joy Thou blew'st those Hils their Billowes spread In mightie Seas they sunke like Lead What God is like our God! so high So excellent in Sanctitie Whose glorious Praise such terror breeds So wonderfull in all thy Deeds Thy Hand out-stretcht the closing VVomb Of VVaves gave all his Host one Tomb. But us who have thy Mercy try'd In our Redemption thou wilt guide Guide by thy Power till we possesse The Mansion of thy Holinesse Part. 3 Our Foes shall this with terrour heare Sad Palaestine grow pale with feare Those who the Edomites command And Moabs Chiefs shall trembling stand The Hearts of Canaan melt away Like Snow before the Suns bright Ray. Horror shall seize on all not one But stand like Statues cut in Stone Vntill thy People passe even those VVhom thou hast ransom'd from their Foes Thou shalt conduct and plant them where Thy fruitfull Hils their Shoulders reare By thy Election dignifi'd VVhere thou for ever shalt abide Thy Reigne eternall King shall last VVhen Heaven and Earth in vapours waste While Pharaoh's Chariots and his Horse 'Twixt walls of Seas their way inforce Thy Hand reduc'd th'obedient Waves VVhich clos'd them in their rowling Graves But Israel through the bottome sand Securely past as on dry Land DEVTERONOMY XXXII As the 1. Psalme LEND O you Heavens unto my voyce an eare And thou O Earth what I shall utter heare My words shall fall like Deaw like April showers On tender Herbs and new-disclosed Flowers VVhile I the Goodnesse of our God proclaime O celebrate his great and glorious Name Our Rocke whose VVorks are perfect Justice leads And equall Judgement walks the VVay he treads In him unstain'd Sincerity excels The God of Truth in whom no falshood dwels But you are all corrupt perverse nor beare Those Marks about you which his Children weare O fooles depriv'd of intellectuall Light Doe you your great Preserver thus requite Your Father He who made you did select From all the World and with his Beauty deck'd Remember aske the Ancient They will tell What in old times and Ages past befell VVhen the most High did distribute the Earth VVith liberall hand to all of humane birth VVhen yet you were not He according to Your numerous Race design'd a Seat for you Part. 2 His People are his Portion Jacobis Th' Inheritance alone reserv'd for His. He when he wandred through a desert land And in a horrid Wildernesse of sand Conducted taught him his high Mysteries And kept him as the Apples of his Eyes As the old Eagle on her Ayery spreads Her fostring Plumes renewes their downy beds Feeds traines them for the flight subdues their feares And on her soaring wings her Eaglets beares So he sustein'd So led him He alone No stranger-Gods to Israel then were knowne Whom like a Horse the towring Mountaines bore That those rich fields might feast him with their store With Honey the hard Rocks supply'd his want And pure Oyle dril'd from cliffes of Adamant Him with the Milke of Ewes with Butter fed With fat of Lambs and Rams in Bashan bred With flesh of Goats with Wheats pure Kernels fill'd And dranke the Bloud which from the Grape distill'd Part. 3 But Jesurun grew fat kickt like a Horse Full of high feeding and untamed force Forsooke his God who made sustein'd adorn'd And that strong Rocke of his Salvation scorn'd VVith barbarous Gods and execrable Rites His Jealousie and Wrath at once excites To Divels they profanely sacrific'd Gods made with hands before their Maker priz'd Gods brought from forraigne Nations strange and new Gods which their Ancestors nor fear'd nor knew Their Father their firme Rocke remembred not And Him who had created them forgot This having seene with burning eyes the Lord His Daughters and degenerate Sons abhor'd Said from these Rebels I will hide my face And see the end of this unfaithfull Race Since they with Gods that are but Gods in Name My Soule with so great Jelousie inflame And through their vanities my wrath incense I by the like will punish their offence Their Glory to an unknowne Nation grant And in their roome a foolish People plant Part. 4 A fire is kindled in my wrath which shall Even in the depth of Hell devoure them all Polluted Earth with her productions burne And ayery Mountaines into ashes turne One misery another shall invite And all my arrowes in
their bosomes light Famine shall eate them hot Diseases burne And all by violent deaths to Earth returne The teeth of salvage Beasts their blood shall spill And Serpents with their fatall poyson kill The Sword without and home-bred Terrors shall Devoure their lives Their Youth untimely fall Betrothed Virgins such as stoope with Age And sucking Babes shall sinke beneath my Rage Scatter I would like Chaffe by Tempests blowne Nor should their Memory to Man be knowne If not withheld by their insulting Foe Lest he should triumph in their overthrow And boasting say This our owne hands have done Our Swords the Gods which have their battaile won Part. 5 A Nation which hath no Intelligence Vncapable of Councell void of sense O that my Words could to their hearts descend To make them wise and thinke of their last End How would One man a Thousand put to flight And Two a Myriad overthrow in Fight But that their Strength hath sold them to their Foes And left them naked to their deadly blowes For though our Enemies should judge their Powers Are faint to His their Rocke no Rocke to ours Their Vine of Sodom of Gomorrahs fields Which Grapes of Gall and bitter clusters yields Poison of Dragons is their deadly Wine To which cold Aspes their drowsie venome joyne Is not all this unto my Sight reveal'd Laid up in store and with my Signet seal'd To me belongs Revenge and Recompence Which I will in the time decree'd dispense The Day is neere which their destruction brings And Punishment now flies with speedy wings Part. 6 God will his People judge at length relent And of his Servants miseries repent Then when they are of all their power bereft No strength no hope of humane succour left And say Where are the Gods of your defence Those Rockes of your presuming confidence Whose flaming Altars you so often fed VVith fat of Bieves and VVine profusely shed Now let them from their crowned Banquets rise And shield you from your furious enemies Behold I am your God I onely I Assisted by no forraigne Deity I kill revive I wound and heale no hand Or power of Mortals can my strength withstand I to the Heavens I made my armes extend Pronounce I ever was and have no end VVhet I my glittering Sword if I advance My hand in Judgement woes past utterance And vengeance equall to their merits shall Vpon my Foes and those who hate me fall The hungry Sword shall eat their flesh like Food My thirsty Arrows shall be drunke with bloud For Captives slaine and for the bloud they spilt I will with horrour recompence their guilt You wiser Nations with his People joy For he will all their Enemies destroy His Servants vindicate from their proud Foe And to their Land and them his Mercy show JUDGES V. As the 8. Psalme YOUR great Preserver celebrate He who reveng'd our wrongs of late When you his sonnes in Israels Aid Of life so brave a Tender made You Princes with attention heare And you who awfull Scepters beare While I in sacred Numbers sing The Praise of our eternall King When he through Seir his Army led In Edoms fields his Ensignes spread Earth shooke the Heavens in drops descend And Clouds in teares their substance spend Before his Face the Mountaines melt Old Sinai unknowne fervor felt When Israel Sangars Rule obey'd And Jael that Virago sway'd She bold of heart He great in Warre Yet to the fearefull Travailer All wayes were then unsafe who crept Through Woods or past when others slept The Land uncultivated lay When I arose I Deborah A Mother to my Countrey grew At once their Foes and feares subdue Part. 2 When to themselves new Gods they chose Then were their Wals besieg'd by Foes Did One of Forty Thousand weare A Cote of Steele or shooke a Speare You who with such alacrity Led to the Battaile O how I Affect your Valour with me raise Your voyces Sing Jehovahs Praise Sing You who on white Asses ride And Justice equally divide You who those VVayes so fear'd of late VVhere now no Thieves assassinate You lately from your Fountaines barr'd VVhere you their clattering Quivers heard There with united joy record The righteous Judgements of the Lord. You who your Cities repossesse VVho reape in peace his Praise professe Arise O Deborah arise In heavenly Hymnes expresse thy Joyes Arise O Barak Thou the Fame And Off-spring of Abinoam Of Israel the renowned Head Captivitie now captive lead Part. 3 Nor shall the noble Memory Of our strong Aids in silence die The Quiver-bearing Ephramite March't from his Mountaine to the Fight Those who on Amalek confine The small Remaines of Benjamin From Machir Princes Not a few VVise Zebulun with Letters drew The valiant Chiefes of Issachar VVith Deborah troopt to this Warre VVho downe into the Valley tread The way which noble Barak led But Reuben from the rest disjoyn'd By Hils and Flouds was so in mind Did'st thou these glorious VVars refuse To heare the bleating of the Ewes O great in Councell O how wise That couldst both Faith and Fame despise Gilead ' of thundring Drums afraid Or slothfull beyond Jordan staid Dan his swift-sailing Ships affects And publique Liberty neglects VVhile Ashur on his Cliffes relides And fortifies against the Tides But Zebulun and Nepthali VVho never would from danger flye VVere ready for the publike good On Tabors top to shed their bloud Part. 4 Then Kings Kings of the Canaanites On Taanach Plaines addrest their Fights VVhere swift Megiddo's VVaters ran Yet neither Spoile nor Trophee wan The Heavens ' gainst Sisera fought The Stars Mov'd in Battalia to those VVars By ancient Kishon swept from thence VVhose Torrent salling Clouds incense Thou O my joyfull Soule at length Hast trod to Dirt their puissant Strength Their wounded Horse with flying haste Fall head-long and their Riders cast Thus spake an Angel Cursed be Thou Meroz all who dwell in thee That basely would'st no aid afford In that great Battaile to the Lord. Cinoeian Hebers VVife thou best Of VVomen be thou ever blest Blest above all Let all that dwell In Tents thy Act O Jaell tell She brought him Milke above his wish And Butter in a Princely Dish A Hammer and a Naile she tooke This into Sisera's Temples strooke He fell fell downe downe to the Flore Lay where he fell bath'd in his Gore Lay groveling at her Feet and there His wretched Soule sigh'd into Aire Part. 5 His Mother at her window staid And thrusting out her shoulders said Why are his Chariots wheeles so slow Nor yet my Sonne in Triumph show VVhen her wise Ladies standing by Yea she her selfe made this reply Have not their Swords now won the Day Have they not shar'd the wealthy Prey Now every Souldier for his paines An Hebrew Dame or Virgin gaines VVhile Sisera choosing layes aside Rich Robes in various Colours dy'd Rich Robes with curious Needles wrought On either side from Phrygia brought The Thread spun from
Through yielding Seas on fiery Horses rides Part 3 When I thy Threatnings heard my entrails shooke And my unnerved knees each other strooke My lips with panting swell my cheeks grow wan Through all my bones a swift Consumption ran O where may I repose in that sad Day When armed Troups upon my Countrey prey Although the Fig-tree shall no blossomes beare Nor Vines with their pure bloud the pensive cheare Although the Olive no requitall yield Nor Corne apparell the deserted Field Though then our Flocks be ravisht from the Fold And though our Stalls no well-fed Oxen hold Yet will not I despaire but chearfully Expect and in thy knowne Salvation joy For thou my Strength and my Protection art My feet more nimble then the flying Hart Ascend the Hils where I with holy fire VVill sing thy Praises to my solemne Lyre LVKE I. As 〈…〉 MY ravisht soule extols his Name VVho rules the VVorlds admired Frame My Spirit with exalted Voyce In God my Saviour shall rejoyce VVho hath his glorious Beames displayd Vpon a poore and humble Maid Me all succeeding Ages shall The blessed Virgin-Mother call The Great great things for me hath wrought His Sanctity past humane thought His Mercy still reflects on those VVho in his Truth their Trust repose He with his Arme hath Wonders showne The Proud in their owne pride â—re throwne The Mighty from their Thrones dejects The Lowly from the dust erects The Hungry are his welcome Guests The Rich excluded from his Feasts He mindfull of his Promise hath Maintain'd and crowned Israels Faith To Abraham promis'd and decreed For ever to his holy Seed LVKE I. As the 46. Psalme O Praise the Lord his VVonders tell VVhose Mercy shines in Israel At length redeem'd from Sinne and Hell The Crowne of our Salvation Deriv'd from Davids royall Throne He now hath to his People showne This to his Prophets did unfold By all successively foretold Vntill the infant World grew old That he our wrongs would vindicate Save from our foes inveterate hate And raise our long deprest estate To ratifie his ancient Deed His promis'd Grace by oath decreed To Abraham and his faithfull Seed That we might our Preserver praise VValke purely in his perfect wayes And fearelesse serve him all our dayes His path thou shalt prepare sweet Child And run before the Vndefil'd The Prophet of th' Almighty stil'd Our knowledge to informe from whence Salvation springs from penitence And pardon of each foule offence Through mercy O how infinite Of our great God who cleares our sight And from the Orient sheds his Light A leading Starre t'enlighten those VVhom Night and shades of Death inclose VVhich that high Tract to glory showes LUKE II. As the 34. Psalme O Thou who art inthron'd on high In peace now let thy Servant die Whose hope on thee relies For thou whose words and deeds are one At length hast thy Salvation showne To these my ravisht Eyes By thee before thy Hands displaid The Heavens and Earths Foundation laid Vnto the VVorld decree'd A Lampe to give the Gentiles Light A Glory O how infinite To Israels faithfull Seed FINIS Gloria Deo in excelsis DEO OPT. MAX. O Thou who All-things hast of Nothing made Whose Hand the radiant Firmament displai'd With such an undiscerned swiftnesse hurl'd About the stedfast Centre of the World Against whose rapid course the restlesse Sun And wandring Flames in varied Motions run Which Heat Light Life infuse Time Night and Day Distinguish in our Humane Bodies sway That hung'st the solid Earth in fleeting Aire Vein'd with cleare Springs which ambient Seas repaire In Clouds the Mountaines wrap their hoary Heads Luxurious Valleies cloth'd with flowry Meads Her trees yield Fruit and Shade with liberall Breasts All creatures She their common Mother feasts Then Man thy Image mad'st in Dignity In Knowledge and in Beauty like to Thee Plac'd in a Heaven on Earth without his toile The ever-flourishing and fruitfull Soile Vnpurchas'd Food produc'd all Creatures were His Subjects serving more for Love then Feare He knew no Lord but Thee But when he fell From his Obedience all at once rebell And in his Ruine exercise their Might Concurring Elements against him fight Troups of unknowne Diseases Sorrow Age And Death assaile him with successive rage Hell let forth all her Furies none so great As Man to Man Ambition Pride Deceit Wrong arm'd with Power Lust Rapine Slaughter reign'd And flatter'd Vice the name of Vertue gain'd Then Hils beneath the swelling Waters stood And all the Globe of Earth was but one Floud Yet could not cleanse their Guilt the following Race Worse then their Fathers and their Sons more base Their God-like Beauty lost Sins wretched Thrawle No sparke of their Divine Originall Left unextinguisht All inveloped With Darknesse in their bold Transgressions dead When thou didst from the East a Light display which rendred to the World a clearer Day Whose Precepts from Hels jawes our Steps withdraw And whose Example was a living Law Who purg'd us with his Bloud the Way prepar'd To Heaven those long-chain'd-up Doores unbar'd How infinite thy Mercy which exceeds The World thou mad'st as well as our Misdeeds Which greater Reverence then thy Iustice wins And still augments thy Honour by our Sins O who hath tasted of thy Clemency In greater measure or more oft then I My gratefull Verse thy Goodnesse shall display O Thou who went'st along in all my way To Where the Morning with perfumed Wings From the high Mountaines of Panchaea springs To that New-found-out World where sober Night Takes from th' Antipodes her silent flight To those darke Seas where horrid Winter reignes And binds the stubborne Flouds in Icie chaines To Lybian Wasts whose Thirst no showres asswage And where swolne Nilus cooles the Lions rage Thy Wonders in the Deepe have I beheld Yet all by those on Iudah's Hils excell'd There where the Virgins Son his Doctrine taught His Miracles and our Redemption wrought Where I by Thee inspir'd his Praises sung And on his Sepulchre my Offering hung Which way so e're I turne my Face or Feet I see thy Glory and thy Mercy meet Met on the Thracian Shoares when in the strife Of frantick Simoans thou preserv'dst my Life So when Arabian Thieves belaid us round And when by all abandon'd Thee I found That false Sidonian Wolfe whose craft put on A Sheepe soft Fleece and me Bellerephon To Ruine by his cruell Letter sent Thou didst by thy protecting Hand prevent Thou sav'dst me from the bloudy Massacres Of faithlesse Indians from their treacherous Wars From raging Feavers from the sultry breath Of tainted Aire which cloy'd the jawes of Death Preserv'd from swallowing Seas when towring Waves Mixt with the Clouds and opened their deep Graves From barbarous Pirats ransom'd by those taught Successefully with Salian Moores we fought Then brought'st me Home in safety that this Earth Might bury me which fed me from my Birth Blest with a healthfull Age a quiet Mind Content with little to this Worke design'd Which I at length have finisht by thy Aid And now my Vowes have at thy Altar paid Iam tetigi Portum Valete LONDON Printed by Iohn Legatt 1637. Iob. Psalmes Ecclesiastes Canticles not Printed Lamentations The severall Hymns His Travels wherein he relates the History of the Pyramides Athens Greece Sr. Edwin Sandys view of Religion in the Westerne parts Easterne Churches Of Doctrine Of Persons As Antioch Turks Priests Ovids Metamorphosis om mentar Virg. Aen. lib. 1. Panegyrick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tarantula Virg. Georg. 2.